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Ff  57 


TRUE   STORIES  OF  GREAT  AMERICANS 


ROBERT   FULTON 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

MSW  YOKK  •   BOSTON  •   CHICAGO  •  DALLAS 
ATLANTA  •   SAK  FRANCKCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON  •   BOMBAY  •   CALCUTTA 
MBLBOURNS 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


Robert  Fulton. 
From  a  miniature  owned  by  Mrs.  R.  Fulton  Blight. 


ROBERT   FULTON 


.»-j  f 


BY 


ALICE  CRARY  SUTCLIFFE 


V«BiK*r^ 


GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER  OF  ROBERT  FULTON 

AUTHOR  OF  "ROBERT  FULTON  AND  THE  CLERMONT" 

AND   "THE  HOMESTEAD  OF  A  COLONIAL  DAME " 


BOSTON  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 
CHESTNUT  H?LL,  MASS. 


K£fo  gork 
THE  MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

1925 

All  rights  reserved 


PRINTED  IN  THE  CNlXEtJ  STATES  OT  AMERICA 


COPVRIGHX,   1915, 

By  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  cicctrotyped.    Published  April,  1915.    Reprinted 
August,  1935. 


J.  S.  Gushing  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

On  board  the  fine  passenger  boat,  Robert  Fulton, 
one  of  the  several  queen  steamers  of  the  Hudson 
River  Day  Line,  on  a  May  morning  when  the 
beauty  of  the  incomparable  river  spread  in  calm 
perfection  before  contented  eyes,  a  great-grand- 
daughter of  Robert  Fulton  began  to  write,  for 
young  readers,  this  story  of  the  steamboat  in- 
ventor's life. 

No  "  Hero  of  America  "  may  lay  more  just  claim 
to  the  title  than  Robert  Fulton,  the  fearless,  per- 
sistent lad  of  Pennsylvania.  His  boyhood  of  stern 
self-denial,  his  struggle  for  culture  and  advanced 
education,  and  his  constant  industry  place  him  in 
"  the  rank  and  file  "  of  all  students  who  may  read 
this  book  with  the  desire  to  learn  his  secret  of 
success. 

Fulton's  story  reveals  it.  He  solved  problems 
locked  from  the  knowledge  of  man  by  a  faithful 
use  of  the  key  of  hard  work.  Born  on  a  lonely 
farm  in  the  country,  deprived  in  early  childhood 
of  his  father's   loving   care,  he  earned  his  own 


vi  PREFACE 

living  and  carved  his  path  to  fame  and  fortune. 
Therefore  his  progress  is  typical  of  possible  simi- 
lar achievements  for  all  young  Americans  who 
wish  to  render  good  service  to  their  country  and 
to  their  fellow-men. 

In  writing  the  story  of  a  man  whose  work  for 
the  world  has  won  fame,  the  seeker  for  historic 
fact  must  patiently  piece  together  the  threads 
gathered  from  many  sources  to  weave  the  fabric 
of  connected  truth. 

For  these  facts  concerning  Robert  Fulton's  life 
I  have  searched  during  a  period  extending  over 
several  years.  In  presenting  this  volume  I  desire 
to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  the  several 
biographers  who,  during  the  century  since  his 
death,  have  traced  his  eventful  career:  Cadwalla- 
der  D.  Golden  (1817);  J.  FrankUn  Reigart  (1856); 
Thomas  W.  Knox  (1886);  Robert  H.  Thurston 
(1891);  Peyton  F.  Miller  (1908);  and,  most  valu- 
able because  most  recent  and  therefore  most  com- 
prehensive, H.  W.  Dickinson  in  "  Robert  Fulton, 
Engineer  &  Artist"  (191 3).  Also  am  I  indebted 
to  the  Historical  Societies  of  Chicago,  New  York, 
and  Pennsylvania;  the  Library  of  Congress;  the 
Estate  of  Cornelia  Livingston  Crary;  the  Hon, 
Peter  T.  Barlow;  Messrs.  Louis  S.  Clark,  New- 
bold  Edgar,  Charles  Henry  Hart,  John  Henry 
Livingston,   Robert   Fulton   Ludlow,   Mrs.   Frank 


PREFACE  vii 

Semple,  and  Mrs.  George  Montgomery,  individ- 
ual owners  of  the  inventor's  original  manuscripts 
and  letters  shown  at  the  Robert  Fulton  Relic 
Exhibit,  during  the  Hudson-Fulton  Celebration  of 
1909,  gathered  jointly  by  the  New  York  Histor- 
ical Society  and  the  Colonial  Dames  of  America, 
of  which  latter  organization  the  writer  served  as 
chairman  of  the  Hudson-Fulton  Committee. 

From  this  vast  mass  of  data  is  the  present 
modest  volume  built,  —  a  tale  retold  for  the  boys 
and  girls  of  America,  whose  lives,  through  the 
inspiration  of  famous  men  and  women,  may  in 
future  years  provide  records  of  equal  worth  for 
historians. 

ALICE   CRARY   SUTCLIFFE. 

New  York  City, 

November  7th,  1914. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

FAGB 

An  Old-time  Fourth  of  July         .       .       .       .        i 

CHAPTER  n 
Robert  Fulton's  Boyhood lo 

CHAPTER  III 
Painting  Portraits  and  Miniatures      ...      20 

CHAPTER  IV 
The  Gift  of  a  Farm        .        .        .       .       .       .      29 

CHAPTER  V 
Studying  Art  in  England 37 

CHAPTER  VI 
From  Art  to  Invention 48 

CHAPTER  VII 
Achievements  in  Paris 62 

CHAPTER  VIII 

Building  the  First  Submarine       ....      73 

ix 


X  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IX 

PAGE 

Building  the  First  Steamboat       ....      84 

CHAPTER  X 
In  Holland  and  England 100 

CHAPTER  XI 

EXPERLMENTS  WITH  A   SUBMARINE        .  .  •  .      I07 

CHAPTER  XII 
Some  Early  Steamboats 121 

CHAPTER  XIII 
Building  the  CiERMoyr 130 

CHAPTER  XIV 
First  Voyage  of  the  Clermont     .       .       .       .138 

CHAPTER  XV 
Steamboats  and  Submarines 155 

CHAPTER  XVI 
»         * 

'      Ferry-boats  and  River-boats         .        .        .        .172 

CHAPTER  XVII 
Fulton's  Home  and  Fulton's  Honors    .       .       .183 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

Robert  Fulton  .        .        .        .        .        .        Frontispiece 

FACIIfG  PAGS 

Robert  Fulton's  Birthplace 8 

The  Building  formerly  occupied  by  Caleb  John- 
son's School 34 

The    Washwoman  ;     Fulton's    earliest    known 

DRAWING 54 

The  Fulton  Medal 134 

The  Wife  and  Two  of  the  Children  of  Robert 

Fulton .•  184 


%x 


A  child  of  Lancaster,  upon  this  land 

Here  was  he  born  by  Conowingo's  shade ; 
Along  these  banks  our  youthful  Fulton  strayed 
Dreaming  of  Art.    Then  Science  touched  his  hand, 

Leading  him  onward,  when,  beneath  her  wand, 
Wonders  appeared  that  never  more  shall  fade : 
He  triumphed  o'er  the  Winds  and  swiftly  made 
The  giant,  Steam,  subservient  to  command. 

How  soft  the  sunlight  lies  upon  the  lea 

Around  his  home,  where  boyhood  days  were  sped ! 

These  checkered  shadows  on  the  fading  grass 
Symbol  his  fortunes,  as  they  fleeting  pass : 

"He  did  mankind  a  service,"  —  could  there  be 

A  tribute  more  ennobling  to  the  dead ! 

Lloyd  Miffmn. 


ROBERT  FULTON 

CHAPTER  I 

An  Old-time  Fourth  of  July 

American  Independence  was  young  in  1778, 
—  only  two  years  old.  Tke  patriotism  awakened 
by  the  Liberty  Bell  in  Philadelphia  was  active  as 
this  second  anniversary  of  our  nation's  birth  ap- 
proached, and  sturdy  Pennsylvanians,  glad  of  our 
country's  freedom  from  English  rule,  planned  a 
Fourth  of  July  celebration. 

In  Lancaster,  less  than  seventy  miles  from  Phila- 
delphia, the  wise  men  of  the  town  council  foresaw 
waste  and  timault  if  the  young  patriots  carried  out 
the  programme  they  had  arranged.  Upon  the  first 
day  of  July  the  Council  discussed  the  matter  and 
passed  this  resolution,  which  they  publicly  posted : 

"  The  Excessive  Heat  of  the  Weather,  the  Present  Scarcity 
of  Candles,  and  Other  Considerations,  Induce  the  Council  to 
Recommend  to  the  Inhabitants  to  Forbear  Illuminating  the 
City  on  Saturday  Evening  Next,  July  4th. 

"  By  Order, 

"Timothy  Matlack,  Secretary." 


2  ROBERT  FULTON 

We  can  imagine  the  disappointment  of  the  Lan- 
caster boys  when  they  read  this  notice.  Angry 
groups  around  the  sign-board  evinced  their  dis- 
pleasure, and  some  of  the  bolder  ones  declared 
that  they  would  light  their  candles  anyway! 

But  one  conscientious  thirteen-year-old  boy 
tried  to  think  of  some  other  method  to  show 
patriotism.  As  the  town  council  forbade  the  use 
of  candles,  he  would  not  disobey  their  law ;  perhaps 
he  could  prepare  a  more  novel  celebration  in  honor 
of  the  holiday. 

He  had  some  candles  which  he  had  saved  for 
the  event ;  now  they  were  of  no  use.  He  therefore 
took  them  to  a  brush-maker  who  kept  powder 
and  shot  for  sale,  and  offered  to  trade  them  for 
gunpowder.  The  brush-maker,  surprised  that 
the  boy  would  part  with  his  candles  when  they 
were  so  scarce,  asked  his  reason.  The  lad  re- 
plied: 

"Our  rulers  have  asked  the  people  not  to 
illuminate  their  windows  and  streets.  All  good 
citizens  should  obey  law,  so  I  have  decided 
instead  to  light  the  heavens  with  sky-rockets." 

The  dealer,  although  amused,  was  glad  to  get 
the  candles  and  promptly  gave  gunpowder  in  ex- 
change. Then  the  boy  went  to  another  store, 
where  he  bought  several  large  sheets  of  cardboard. 


AN  OLD-TIME   FOURTH  OF  JULY  3 

The  clerk  was  about  to  roll  the  sheets  for  easy 
handling,  but  his  customer  protested : 

*'I  wish  to  carry  them  as  they  are." 

The  curiosity  of  this  man  also  was  aroused. 
He  remembered  that  the  lad  was  said  to  be 
"always  trying  to  invent  something."  As  he 
handed  them  over  he  asked : 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  them?" 

Eagerly  the  boy  answered:  "We  are  forbidden 
to  light  our  windows  with  candles.  I^m  going  to 
shoot  my  candles  through  the  air." 

"Tut!  Tut!"  exclaimed  the  man,  laughingly. 
"  That's  an  impossibility." 

"No,  sir,"  the  boy  responded,  with  a  flash  of 
enthusiasm.     "There  is  nothing  impossible." 

This  is  a  true  story,  told  by  an  old-time 
Lancaster  historian.  The  thirteen-year-old  boy 
was  Robert  Fulton,  who  became  the  inventor  of 
steam  navigation. 

It  is  good  to  carry  the  story  further  in  imagina- 
tion. That  group  of  boys  who  gathered  in  the  town 
during  the  twilight  of  Independence  Day,  1778,  saw 
a  few  spluttering  rockets  shoot  skyward  from  the 
hand  of  a  lad  determined  to  carry  the  good  news 
of  freedom  to  a  higher  horizon  than  that  of  the 
home  windows  of  Lancaster.  A  flash !  A  whirr  I 
and  the  light  arose,  zigzagged  its  message  through 


4  ROBERT  FULTON 

the  darkness,  like  fiery  handwriting  in  the  sky,  and 
then  died  away.  But  the  fine  courage  and  courtesy 
of  the  boy  who  would  not  disobey  a  local  law, 
although  he  felt  a  national  appeal  to  patriotic 
jubilee,  —  these  tokens  of  character  have  not 
faded.  They  prophesied  the  boy's  success  in  life. 
He  foretold  it  in  his  words,  ^'  Nothing  is  impossible." 

Robert  Fulton's  father  was  one  of  three  brothers, 
David,  John,  and  Robert.  They  were  of  Scotch 
origin,  and  came  to  America  from  Kilkenny,  Ireland, 
about  1730.  Robert,  the  youngest,  settled  in 
Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  where  in  1759  he  married 
Miss  Mary  Smith,  daughter  of  Joseph  Smith  of 
Oxford  Township,  and  bought  for  their  first  home 
a  brick  dwelling  on  the  northeast  comer  of  Penn 
Square,  in  the  center  of  the  town.  In  this  house 
they  lived  until  1764.  They  took  an  active  interest 
in  local  affairs,  for  Robert  Fulton  belonged  to 
every  organization  then  formed ;  to  be  sure,  there 
were  only  three,  for  the  town  was  small.  He  was 
secretary  of  the  Union  Fire  Company,  a  charter 
member  of  the  Juliana  Library,  and  a  founder  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church. 

It  is  pleasant  to  think  of  the  young  couple  set-- 
tling  their  new  home  on  Penn  Square  (where  not 
many  years  before  the  Indians  had  a  colony),  near 
a  spring  of  clear  water  imder  a  giant  hickory  tree. 


AN  OLD-TIME  FOURTH  OF  JULY  5 

It  was  on  this  very  spot  that  the  chieftains  of 
"Hickory  Tribe/'  as  they  termed  themselves,  met 
to  confer  with  William  Penn,  the  wise  and  kindly 
Quaker. 

Governor  Thomas  Pownall  visited  Lancaster 
in  1754  and  wrote  that  it  was  "  a  pretty  and  con- 
siderable town,  increasing  fast  and  growing  rich.'* 
So  we  can  be  certain  that  when  Robert  Fulton's 
parents  estabHshed  a  home  of  their  own  on  Penn 
Square,  they  felt  they  had  a  bright  future  before 
them. 

Two  little  daughters,  Elizabeth  and  Isabella, 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fulton  while  they  lived 
in  this  house  and  were  among  the  first  children  to 
be  christened  in  the  new  church.  Mr.  Fulton  had 
a  strong  voice  and  was  chosen  to  "lead  the  psalm" 
in  the  old  Court  House,  where  services  were  held 
until  the  church  could  be  built.  He  sang  .the 
opening  words  of  each  division  of  the  psalm  and  the 
congregation  joined  in  unison  for  the  later  words. 

In  1763  Mr.  Fulton  signed  the  charter  for  the 
town  library,  the  third  to  be  established  in  the 
American  colonies.  Thomas  and  William  Penn, 
Esquires  of  the  Province,  drafted  the  papers  and 
named  the  library  "Juliana"  after  Thomas  Penn's 
wife.  He  was  a  son  of  the  famous  old  WilHam 
Penn,  who  had  conferred  with  the  Hickory  Indians, 


6  ROBERT  FULTON 

and  for  whom  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  had  been 
named. 

The  new  church,  the  Juliana  Library,  and  the 
Union  Fire  Company,  together  with  his  business, 
kept  Robert  Fulton  well  occupied,  but  they  yielded 
friendly  comradeship  and  varied  interests.  In  1765 
Mr.  Fulton  sold  his  Lancaster  home  and  moved  his 
family  to  a  farm  of  more  than  three  hundred  acres 
on  Conowingo  Creek,  in  Little  Britain  Township, 
which  he  had  purchased  the  preceding  November. 
It  lay  sixty-five  miles  from  Philadelphia,  but  not 
many  from  Lancaster,  so  they  were  not  far  from 
their  friends,  though  they  had  to  give  up  active 
work  in  the  town. 

The  plastered  stone  farm-house  to  which  the 
Fulton  family  moved  is  still  standing  by  the  coun- 
try cross-roads.  A  wide  sloping  roof  shelters  the 
two-story  building  and  overhangs  a  porch  at  the 
eastern  end.  There  the  ground  slopes  to  the  valley 
where  the  Conowingo  Creek,  a  picturesque  stream, 
flows  on  its  quiet  way  to  join  the  Susquehanna 
River.  It  is  a  place  of  great  beauty  and  may  well 
have  proved  attractive  to  early  settlers.  The  low- 
ceiled  parlors  remain  as  they  were  during  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fulton's  occupancy,  and  the  upper  bedrooms 
show  broad  window  sills  of  great  age.  The  fire- 
place of  the  old-time  kitchen  also  is  unchanged,  the 


AN  OLD-TIME  FOURTH  OF  JULY  7 

sturdy  crane  swinging  in  the  sooty  shadows  where 
Mrs.  Fulton  hung  her  kettle  to  boil,  in  those  distant 
days  of  pioneer  life.  Joseph  Swift,  of  Philadelphia, 
wrote  in  after  years  that  his  grandmother  "well 
remembered  in  her  youth  the  preparations  which  a 
visit  to  Aunt  Fulton  required  in  the  way  of  baking, 
boihng  and  roasting,  and  in  getting  ready  the  camp 
equipage  which  the  journey  through  the  wilderness 
required.  It  was  only  less  formidable  than  a 
journey  across  the  Atlantic." 

It  was  in  this  quiet  farm-house  ^  that  Robert 
Fulton,  the  inventor,  was  born  on  the  14th  day  of 
November,  1765.  He  was  the  first  son  and  there 
was  great  rejoicing  at  his  birth.  During  the  cold 
winter  days  he  slept  by  the  open  fireside  while  his 
mother  attended  to  her  household  tasks  and  cared 
for  the  little  daughters,  —  Peggy  and  Belle,  as 
they  were  called,  —  who  toddled  about  the  baby 
brother's  cradle.  When  the  springtime  threw  its 
mantle  of  green  over  the  fresh  country-side,  Robert 
laughed  and  grew  strong  in  the  clear  country  air. 

Possibly  farming  did  not  pay,  for  during  the 
succeeding  year  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fulton  mortgaged  the 
property  to  Joseph  Swift  and  two  others,  arranging 

^  In  1909,  a  bronze  tablet,  commemorative  of  Fulton's  birth, 
presented  by  the  Lancaster  County  Historical  Society,  was  un- 
veiled at  the  entrance  door,  by  the  writer. 


8  ROBERT  FULTON 

payments  to  be  made  during  five  years.  When 
Robert  Fulton  finally  moved  his  family  back  to 
Lancaster,  Joseph  Swift  came  to  live  in  the  house, 
now  pleasantly  shaded  by  a  tall  button-wood  tree. 
This  tree  is  said  to  have  grown  from  a  riding- whip 
which  Joseph  Swift's  daughter,  Esther,  stuck  into 
the  groimd  one  day  as  she  dismounted  from  her 
favorite  pony. 

Although  the  Fulton  family  lived  but  a  short 
time  upon  these  farm  lands,  it  gave  a  sufficient 
reason  for  a  change  of  name  in  the  township,  for 
when  Little  Britain  was  resurveyed  in  1844  the 
section  containing  the  farm  was  entitled  "Fulton 
Township,"  in  honor  of  the  baby  boy  who  first 
saw  the  light  under  that  sloping  roof,  on  the  bleak 
November  day  in  1765. 

In  selecting  land  near  Conowingo  Creek,  the 
elder  Robert  Fulton  realized  —  as  his  son  came  to 
realize  in  later  years  —  the  importance  of  water- 
courses and  turnpike  advantages.  He  continued 
upon  the  farm  till  1771,  when  it  was  advertised 
for  sale  as  "the  place  where  Robert  Fulton  lives.'* 
But  he  died  early  in  the  autumn  of  1774,  and  his 
widow,  with  scanty  means,  took  up  the  task  of 
rearing  their  five  children,  for  a  daughter,  Mary,  and 
a  second  son,  Abraham  Smith  Fulton,  had  been 
bom  since  1765. 


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AN  OLD-TIME  FOURTH  OF  JULY  9 

Robert  Fulton,  the  older  son,  was  then  nine 
years  old,  a  bright,  active  boy,  eager  for  all  sorts  of 
fun.  An  uncle,  his  father's  brother,  took  him  to  his 
home  for  a  time,  but  Robert  was  unhappy  away 
from  his  mother  and  returned  to  her.  He  early 
learned  to  carve  his  fortune  from  the  hard  rock  of 
adversity. 


CHAPTER  II 

Robert  Fulton's  Boyhood 

So  many  anecdotes  have  been  told  about  Robert 
Fulton's  boyhood  that  they  will  fill  a  whole  chapter. 
It  is  an  inspiration  to  boys  and  girls,  who  dream  of 
fame  through  splendid  future  action,  to  realize 
that  a  hero  usually  begins  life  by  a  normal  childhood, 
striving  to  do  well  the  trivial  tasks.  Daily  duties 
well  done  form  character,  and  only  character  creates 
worth. 

Robert  Fulton  studied  at  home,  under  his 
parents'  teaching,  until  he  was  eight  years  old. 
By  this  time  the  family  had  returned  to  Lancaster, 
and  Robert  was  considered  old  enough  to  attend 
the  school  kept  by  one  Caleb  Johnson,  a  Quaker. 

He  had  learned  to  read  and  write  and  was  eager 
for  school.  We  can  fancy  the  scene  of  his  entrance 
to  the  class-room,  his  dark  eyes  bright  with  excite- 
ment, his  curls  brushed  to  parted  order,  as  he  en- 
countered for  the  first  time  the  austere  school- 
master, an  impressive  personage  in  that  day.  He 
was  guarded  on  either  side  by  his  fond  elder  sisters, 

lO 


ROBERT  FULTON'S  BOYHOOD      ii 

Peggy  and  Belle,  but  their  care  could  not  protect 
him  later  from  the  tutoring  birch,  when  Caleb 
Johnson  discovered,  as  he  thought,  that  Robert 
was  "a  dull  boy/'  The  younger  sister,  Mary,  — 
or  Polly,  as  she  was  called, — and  the  baby  brother, 
Abraham,  were  at  home  eager  to  hear  Robert's 
description  of  school  Kfe. 

But  after  all,  Robert  seems  not  to  have  cared 
very  greatly  for  his  books.  His  delight  lay  in 
\dsiting  the  machine-shops  of  the  town,  where  he 
spent  all  his  spare  time  in  trying  to  make  things  he 
needed  or  wanted.  One  day  he  explained  his 
late  arrival  at  school  by  saying  that  he  had  been  at 
Nicholas  Miller's  shop  making  a  lead-pencil  —  "the 
best  I  ever  had,"  he  declared.  He  had  pounded 
out  the  lead  and  fitted  it  so  neatly  into  a  wooden 
case  that  Caleb  Johnson  admitted  it  was  indeed  an 
excellent  pencil.  Within  a  few  days,  —  so  eager 
are  children  to  follow  a  leader,  —  all  the  boys  had 
made  for  themselves,  with  more  or  less  success, 
pencils  like  Robert's. 

Sometimes  his  plans  for  making  things  so  filled 
his  thoughts  that  he  dreamed  over  his  books  and 
was  unprepared  for  recitation ;  then  Caleb  Johnson, 
after  the  stern  fashion  of  those  days,  called  him  to 
the  desk  and  bade  him  hold  forth  his  hand  for  a 
whipping  by  the  ferule.     Once,  when  the  teacher 


12  ROBERT  FULTON 

thought  him  particularly  idle,  he  struck  Robert 
sharply  over  the  knuckles,  saying,  "There,  that 
will  make  you  do  something!'*  The  boy,  roused 
by  a  sense  of  injustice,  replied  with  politeness  yet 
with  reproof : 

"Sir,  I  came  here  to  have  something  beaten  into 
my  brains,  and  not  into  my  knuckles."  With  head 
held  high  and  arms  folded,  he  walked  back  to  his 
place,  seeming  even  to  Caleb  Johnson,  at  the  time, 
"a  strange  boy.'*  When  Robert's  mother  called  at 
the  school  to  talk  over  her  son's  progress  —  for  she 
was  worried  at  his  giving  so  little  attention  to  his 
books  —  the  master  replied, 

"Robert  says  his  head  is  so  full  of  original  ideas 
that  there  is  no  room  in  his  brain  to  store  away  the 
contents  of  dusty  books." 

He  was  beginning  to  consider  life's  problems  and 
he  dared  to  try  to  solve  them  by  ways  of  his  own. 
He  was  never  really  idle,  for  two  absorbing  interests 
claimed  attention,  —  the  study  of  machinery  and 
the  study  of  art. 

For  it  was  not  very  long  before  that  lead-pencil, 
pounded  with  such  care  at  Nicholas  Miller's  store, 
began  to  reveal  Robert's  talent  for  drawing.  He 
sketched  parts  of  machinery  in  the  various  shops 
of  the  village  and  made  himself  so  useful  to  the 
mechanics  that  they  welcomed  his  visits.    Then, 


ROBERT  FULTON'S  BOYHOOD      13 

as  Robert  realized  the  beauties  in  nature,  his  black 
pencil  seemed  to  disappoint  him.  He  could  find 
no  paints  or  crayons  at  the  shops,  and  it  was  not 
until  a  playfellow  brought  a  box  of  paints  to  school 
that  Robert  realized  the  possibility  of  such  an 
aid  to  making  pictures.  He  pleaded  with  his  friend 
for  a  share  that  he  might  try  his  hand  at  mixing 
colors,  so  it  was  agreed  that  each  boy  should  paint 
a  picture  on  a  mussel  shell.  The  result  proved 
Robert  so  excellent  an  artist  that  his  generous 
schoolmate,  whose  talents  lay  in  another  direction, 
presented  Robert  with  the  entire  outfit.  His 
delight  knew  no  bounds,  and  thereafter  he  never 
was  at  a  loss  for  occupation. 

Like  many  another  famous  man,  it  should  be 
noted  that  Fulton  did  not  enjoy  the  advantages  of  a 
liberal  education  in  his  youth.  Beginning  work 
at  an  early  age,  by  the  need  of  earning  his  living, 
he  necessarily  left  his  desk  and  books  before  he 
had  mastered  the  higher  branches  of  knowledge 
demanded  by  his  later  work.  Still,  he  was  deter- 
mined to  acquire  knowledge.  Busy  by  day,  he 
studied  by  night,  and  in  time  added  higher  mathe- 
matics, languages,  chemistry  and  perspective  draw- 
ing to  his  mental  stores.  In  fact,  Fulton  was  a 
student  throughout  his  entire  life. 

To-day  his  spelling  seems  to  us  distinctly  original 


14  ROBERT  FULTON 

and  often  amusing ;  but  let  us  remember  that  he 
lived  in  "the  good  old  days"  when  that  particular 
art  was  largely  a  matter  of  inspiration,  instead  of 
being  governed,  as  it  is  to-day,  by  stern  and  un- 
breakable rules. 

The  War  of  the  Revolution  was  in  progress  dur- 
ing the  days  of  Fulton's  boyhood,  and  the  town 
of  Lancaster  was  the  scene  of  many  important 
acts. 

There  had  been  many  English  settlers  in  Lan- 
caster, so  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  town  abounded 
in  "Royalists,"  —  sympathizers  with  the  British 
Crown. 

The  time  and  place  were  rife  with  excitement. 
Village  boys  shared  the  news,  one  with  another, 
and  followed  every  skirmish  with  active  interest. 

In  1775,  Major  John  Andre,  with  other  British 
officers  on  their  way  to  Quebec,  was  captured  by 
General  Montgomery  and  taken  for  safety  to 
Lancaster.  So  crowded  were  the  barracks  that 
Andre,  on  his  word  as  a  gentleman,  was  allowed 
the  following  parole : 

"I,  John  Andre,  being  a  prisoner  in  the  United  Colonies 
of  America,  do,  upon  the  honor  of  a  gentleman,  promise 
that  I  will  not  go  into  or  near  any  seaport  town,  nor  further 
than  six  miles  from  Lancaster,  without  leave  of  the  Con- 
tinental Congress  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  of  Pennsyl- 


ROBERT  FULTON'S  BOYHOOD      15 

vania,  and  that  I  will  carry  on  no  political  correspondence 
whatever  on  the  subject  of  the  dispute  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  Colonies,  so  long  as  I  remain  a  prisoner." 

A  man  named  Caleb  Cope  received  John  Andre 
into  his  home  and  Andre  tutored  his  son,  John 
Cope,  tliirteen  years  old,  and  gave  him  lessons  in 
art ;  for  Andre  had  a  decided  talent  for  the  brush 
and  loved  to  depict,  from  recollection,  the  scenes 
of  his  English  home.  One  of  these  pictures,  a 
landscape  with  a  church  and  lodge  among  a  bower 
of  trees,  Andre  gave  to  Mr,  Cope  who  treasured  it 
in  later  years.  He  described  Andre  as  "a  gifted 
and  deceived,  but  noble-hearted  and  generous, 
man.''  It  is  thought  that  John  Cope  was  the  boy 
who  presented  the  painting  outfit  to  Robert  Fulton, 
so  it  is  probable  that,  indirectly,  Robert  may  have 
profited  from  Major  Andre's  instruction. 

Because  of  its  political  importance  Lancaster 
was  the  local  headquarters  for  supplies  necessary 
to  American  troops,  and  rifles,  blankets  and  cloth- 
ing were  manufactured  there.  American  soldiers 
patrolled  the  streets  and  had  in  charge  the  two 
thousand  British  prisoners  at  one  time  garrisoned 
there. 

The  boys  of  Lancaster,  in  the  late  afternoons, 
gathered  to  view  the  novel  scenes  of  the  encamp- 
ment.   After  a  time,  growing  braver,  they  chal- 


i6  ROBERT  FULTON 

lenged  "the  rebels/'  as  they  termed  the  Hessian 
boys,  with  the  consequence  that  boyish  battles 
began  to  take  place  between  the  "Tories"  and  the 
"Rebels."  A  rope,  stretched  across  the  street, 
defined  a  limit  which  none  dared  to  pass. 

Robert  Fulton's  imagination  was  lively  and 
carried  him  beyond  bounds.  One  day  he  made  a 
graphic  sketch  of  the  scene,  depicting  the  "Rebels" 
advancing  beyond  the  line  to  threaten  a  thrashing 
to  the  "Tories."  He  showed  the  picture  to  the 
boys  and  it  had  the  unfortunate  result  of  inspiring 
them  to  the  very  action  portrayed.  The  town 
authorities,  hearing  of  the  skirmish,  feared  that  the 
boys  were  carrying  their  fun  too  far  and  put  a 
hasty  stop  to  these  martial  games. 

Through  these  stirring  days  Robert  Fulton  was 
daily  learning  the  excellent  lessons  of  self-reliance 
and  self-support.  He  learned,  as  we  all  should,  in 
school  and  out  of  school.  The  Continental  authori- 
ties employed  certain  firms  to  manufacture  and 
repair  arms.  Guards  at  the  doorways  of  factories 
forbade  any  interruption  of  the  important  work, 
which  was  pushed  with  speed,  and  none  but  em- 
ployees might  enter.  Workmen  labored  in  relays, 
night  and  day ;  even  on  Sunday  the  sound  of  the 
hammer  and  engine  could  be  heard. 

Special  permit  was  granted  to  young  Robert 


ROBERT  FULTON'S  BOYHOOD  t^ 

Fulton  to  go  within  the  shops,  for  by  this  time  he 
was  so  good  a  draughtsman  that  his  pencil  co\ild 
occasionally  outline  a  suggestion  of  value,  and  his 
increasing  knowledge  of  mechanics  made  him  an 
apt  pupil  in  the  study  of  the  tools  of  warfare.  At 
this  time  he  commenced  to  draw  designs  for  fire- 
arms and  as  early  as  1779  made  himself  an  air-gun. 

A  certain  druggist  sold  Robert  several  packages 
of  quicksilver,  and  these  formed  part  of  some 
mysterious  experiments  which  Robert  declined  to 
describe  to  his  curious  friends.  The  workmen  in 
the  gun-shop  tried  in  vain  to  compel  him  to  ex- 
plain the  use  to  which  he  put  the  silvery,  elusive 
metal.  So  piizzled  were  they  by  his  secret  that 
they  called  him  in  fun  "Quicksilver  Bob,"  and  by 
this  name  he  was  known  for  some  time  among  the 
workmen  of  the  shops  and  among  his  young  com- 
rades. 

Robert  accompanied  the  gunsmiths  upon  their 
testing  tours  of  marksmanship  on  the  open  common, 
or  village  park;  he  soon  learned  to  prove  calcula- 
tions of  comparative  carrying  distances  of  varying 
sized  bore  and  balls,  by  shooting  at  a  mark  and 
finding  the  relative  distances  and  forces  of  carrying 
powers. 

Among  the  factory  clerks  was  an  intelligent 
youth,  Christopher  Gumpf ,  four  years  older  than 


i8  ROBERT  FULTON 

Robert,  who  in  1779  became  his  intimate  friend. 
The  father  was  an  enthusiastic  fisherman  and 
accompanied  the  boys  upon  many  a  fine  excursion 
in  his  flatboat  on  Conestoga  Creek.  When  it  was 
not  in  use  he  padlocked  his  boat  to  a  tree,  but  when 
off  on  holiday  trips  he  would  ask  the  boys  to  pole 
the  boat  to  certain  shady  fishing-grounds. 

Robert  became  weary  of  the  hard  work  of  poling 
the  heavy  boat  for  long  distances.  During  a  visit 
of  a  week  at  his  aunt's  home  in  Little  Britain,  he 
planned  and  made  a  small  model  of  a  boat  to  be 
propelled  by  side  paddles.  It  was  too  large  to 
carry  home,  so  Robert  placed  the  model  in  his  aunt's 
attic  and  asked  her  to  keep  it  for  him.  Many 
years  after,  when  Robert's  first  steamboat  had 
become  famous,  that  model  was  brought  down  from 
the  attic  and  proudly  placed  in  the  aunt's  parlor 
as  the  most  valued  treasure  of  the  house. 

When  he  returned  to  Lancaster  Fulton  told 
Christopher  Gumpf  about  his  plan,  and  together 
they  made  a  set  of  paddles,  propelled  by  a  double 
crank  action,  to  move  the  fishing-boat.  Two 
lengths  of  timber,  with  a  blade  at  each  end,  were 
fastened  at  right  angles  to  the  boat :  a  crank  at  the 
stern  turned  the  blades,  while  a  third  paddle,  as  a 
rudder,  revolved  on  a  pivot  to  steer  the  course. 
The  invention  worked  well  and  the  delighted  boys 


ROBERT  FULTON'S  BOYHOOD  19 

abandoned  the  work  of  poling.  The  paddles  were 
removable  from  the  boat,  and,  when  not  in  use, 
were  hidden  in  thick  bushes  near  the  water. 

So  it  was  on  the  Gonestoga  Creek,  with  only  two 
witnesses  who  little  dreamed  what  the  contrivance 
would  lead  to,  that  Robert  Fulton,  the  fourteen- 
year-old  boy,  began  to  plan  a  solution  to  the  prob- 
lem of  navigation. 


CHAPTER  ni 

Painting  Portraits  and  Miniatures 

There  comes  in  every  bey's  life  a  day  of  great 
decision ;  it  is  when  school  days  are  over,  and  the 
boy,  face  to  face  with  the  toiling  world,  decides  by 
which  branch  of  industry  he  shall  perform  his  share 
of  the  world's  work  to  earn  his  living.  Such  a  day 
came  to  Robert  Fulton  and  he  had  prepared  him- 
self for  it. 

His  mother's  early  lessons,  the  sterner  teaching  of 
Caleb  Johnson,  the  visits  to  the  machine-shops,  the 
constant  sketching  with  pencil  and  crayon,  —  all 
had  enriched  his  mind  for  this  day  of  the  choice  of 
vocation.  As  he  felt  the  call  to  a  larger  field  of 
action  than  Lancaster  afforded,  it  was  natural  that 
in  seeking  his  fortune  he  should  turn  to  the  nearest 
big  city,  Philadelphia,  noted  as  a  center  for  the 
peaceful  arts  of  the  gentle  Quaker  folk,  its  founders. 

Robert  Fulton  was  seventeen  years  old  when  he 
left  Lancaster  to  take  up  his  abode  in  Philadelphia. 
With  war  at  an  end,  the  country  had  entered  upon 
the  enjoyment  of  the  welcome  fruits  of  peace. 

20 


PAINTING  PORTRAITS  AND  MINIATURES     21 

As  we  study  the  few  facts  known  about  Fulton 
during  this  period,  it  is  easy  to  discover  several 
important  reasons  which  influenced  him  toward 
art  as  a  career,  and  Philadelphia  as  a  place  of 
residence. 

Benjamin  West,  a  native  of  Chester  County, 
Pennsylvania,  was  at  this  time  famous  as  a  painter 
in  London;  he  was  a  man  whose  success  had 
brought  special  pride  to  Lancaster,  for  he  had  there 
begun  his  career  as  portrait  painter.  West's 
father,  an  intimate  friend  of  Robert  Fulton's 
father,  allowed  his  son,  at  the  early  age  of  twelve, 
to  visit  Lancaster  in  order  to  paint  the  portraits  of 
a  certain  Mrs.  Ross  and  her  children.  He  had  been 
so  successful  that  orders  poured  in,  taxing  his  time 
and  strength  to  fill  them.  Canvas  could  not  be 
had,  so  he  painted  his  pictures  upon  smooth  boards. 
His  genius  had  been  shown  when  he  was  very 
young,  for  at  the  age  of  seven  he  sketched  a  correct 
likeness  of  his  sister's  child  in  the  cradle.  He  had 
no  colors  to  work  with  until  a  party  of  friendly 
Indians  visited  his  home,  and  Eenjamin,  in  boyish 
pride,  showed  them  his  pencil  sketches.  They 
generously  gave  him  the  colors  they  used  to  paint 
their  faces  and  ornaments,  hues  extracted  from  the 
juices  of  berries  and  herbs.  They  also  taught  him 
to  mix  the  paints  to  form  new  shades  andcombina- 


22  ROBERT  FULTON 

tions.  He  had  no  brush,  so  he  made  one  by  taking 
from  the  tail  of  a  cat  some  furry  hairs  which  he 
pulled  up  through  a  goose-quill.  We  remember 
the  adage,  **A  poor  workman  blames  his  tools." 
A  good  workman  can  manage  to  make  tools  from 
almost  nothing,  if  he  really  wants  to  work. 

The  fame  of  Benjamin  West  in  London  was  a 
favorite  topic  of  conversation  in  Lancaster. 
Robert  Fulton  had  already  been  able  to  sell  mechan- 
ical drawings  to  the  shops  and  had  painted  tavern- 
signs,  as  had  West,  for  local  inns.  What  more 
natural  than  that  Fulton,  with  like  talent  for  art, 
should  decide  to  adopt  portrait-painting  as  his 
profession  ? 

Mrs.  Fulton's  heart  must  have  been  very  full  as 
she  bade  her  eldest  son  goodby  and  saw  him  mount 
the  stage-coach  for  the  journey  to  Philadelphia. 
He  had  some  friends  in  the  city,  Lancaster  people 
who  had  gone  there  for  business  or  other  reasons, 
for  a  large  city  always  drains  the  adjacent  villages 
of  the  enterprising  folk  who  desire  greater  fields 
for  action. 

Robert  Fulton  had  a  cheerful  and  happy  nature 
and  a  real  talent  for  making  friends,  so  he  soon 
added  new  acquaintances  to  his  list,  though  he  was 
always  particular  to  choose  his  companions  wisely. 

It  was  ^  brave  venture  for  a  country  lad  of  seven- 


PAINTING  PORTIt\ITS  AND  MINIATURES     23 

teen  to  attempt  self-support  by  art  in  a  great  city, 
but  he  was  eager  to  acquire  every  kind  of  knowl- 
edge, and  applied  himself  earnestly  to  whatsoever 
his  hand  could  find  to  do.  He  designed  carriages 
and  buildings;  he  made  mechanical  drawings  for 
machine-shops ;  he  copied  sketches  in  India  ink ; 
he  painted  tavern-signs,  and  all  the  while,  he  studied 
the  finer  art  of  portrait  and  miniature  painting, 
with  the  hope  of  making  this  alone  his  profession 
when  time  should  grant  him  sufficient  skill. 

An  interesting  example  of  Fulton's  early  art  is 
a  sketch  in  India  ink  of  a  French  landscape,  showing 
peasant  women  washing  linen  by  the  side  of  a 
stream.  It  is  entitled  "La  Blanchiseuse ''  and 
signed  "Robert  Fiilton,  March  15,  1783,'^  so  it  was 
made  during  his  first  year  in  Philadelphia.  Prob- 
ably it  was  a  copy  of  a  French  engraving  in  the 
Museum  where  Fulton  took  lessons  when  he  could 
afford  to  employ  a  teacher. 

At  that  time  Charles  Wilson  Peale  was  the  fore- 
most artist  in  Philadelphia,  and  it  is  thought  that 
Fulton  availed  himself  of  his  instruction,  —  at  any 
rate  they  were  friends  during  later  life. 

In  1785  the  young  Lancaster  student  was  regis- 
tered in  the  city  directory,  "Robert  Fulton, 
Miniature  Painter,  Cor.  of  2d  &  Walnut  Streets," 
which  indicates  that  he  was  launched  in  his  pro- 


24  ROBERT  FULTON 

fession.  The  following  year  he  painted  a  portrait 
of  his  "Good  Friend,  Joseph  Bringhurst/'  a  Quaker 
patron.  This  portrait  is  labeled  "Second  portrait 
in  oils,'*  which  defines  the  time  when  Fulton  began 
to  paint  large  portraits,  although  prior  to  this  date 
he  had  made  many  crayon  portraits  and  miniatures. 
At  that  time  Benjamin  Franklin,  about  to  go  to 
France  as  American  Ambassador,  was  the  chief 
personage  of  Philadelphia.  It  was  a  fine  feather  in 
Fulton's  cap  when  the  great  man  showed  him 
favor.  Franklin  admired  Fulton's  painstaking 
work  and  pleasant  manner;  it  is  said  that  he 
showed  him  unusual  attention  and  introduced  him 
to  prominent  men  of  the  city.  From  this  time 
Fulton's  services  as  a  portrait  painter  were  steadily 
engaged  and  orders  flowed  in.  In  1787  Benjamin 
Franklin  himself  sat  for  his  portrait,  and  this,  of 
course,  greatly  helped  to  set  the  fashion.  Its 
astonishing  adventures  are  thus  described  in  the 
Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography : 

A  portrait  of  Ben.  Franklin  painted  by  Robert  Fulton 
of  steamboat  celebrity.  On  the  back  of  the  canvas  is 
written  "R.  Fulton,  Pinxt,  1787."  The  history  of  this  rare 
picture  is  distinctly  traceable  back  thirty-three  or  thirty- 
four  years,  at  which  time  it  was  sold  at  auction  for  twenty- 
five  cents.  For  thirty  years  it  hung  without  frame  in  the 
sitting  room  of  a  Rhode  Island  farmer.    At  another  time 


PAINTING  PORTRAITS  AND  MINIATURES      25 

it  was  used  as  a  barrel  cover  in  a  farmer's  garret,  and  still 
later  ornamented  an  engine  house.  The  Rev.  Henr)'^ 
Baylies  found  it  in  a  photograph  gallery  in  Fall  River, 
Massachusetts.  Mr.  Baylies  sold  it  in  1891  to  C.  F.  Gunther, 
of  Chicago. 

Among  the  prominent  citizens  to  whom  Franklin 
introduced  young  Robert  Fulton  was  John  Ross,  a 
successful  merchant,  who  in  friendly  interest  sug- 
gested that  the  artist  should  make  a  specialty  of 
crayon  likenesses  of  the  young  ladies  in  society. 
To  set  the  fashion,  Mr.  Ross  ordered  portraits  of 
his  two  daughters,  Margaret  and  Clementina. 

Mr.  Ross  was  devoted  to  Clementina  and  when 
summoned  to  Paris  on  business  for  the  government, 
wished  her  to  accompany  him ;  but  Mrs.  Ross, 
knowing  that  the  ocean  was  infested  by  pirates, 
feared  that  their  daughter  might  fall  into  their 
hands  and  raised  so  strong  an  objection  .that 
Clementina  stayed  at  home.  So  Mr.  Ross  had  her 
crayon  portrait  copied  on  ivory  and  carried  the 
miniature  as  traveling  companion. 

Fulton's  portrait  shows  Margaret  Ross  in  fancy 
dress,  with  tall  jeweled  head-gear,  holding  in  her 
hand  a  full-blown  rose. 

Perhaps  the  daintiest  bit  of  work  ever  accom- 
pKshed  by  Fulton  was  an  exquisite  miniature  of  a 
certain  Mary  West,  so  tiny  that  it  is  set,  as  a  jewel, 


26  ROBERT  FULTON 

in  a  finger  ring.  The  likeness,  oval  in  shape,  is 
surrounded  by  brilliants.  According  to  family 
tradition,  Fulton  painted  the  ring  that  Mary 
West's  brother  might  wear  it  at  the  Court  of  St. 
James  in  London.  Her  father,  William  West, 
came  to  live  in  Philadelphia  about  1750  and  was 
probably  related  to  Benjamin  West,  the  artist. 

It  is  easy  to  see  that,  by  reason  of  hard  work, 
Fulton  was  already  on  the  highway  to  success. 
He  persevered  at  his  profession  and  gained  not 
merely  money  but  also  the  esteem  and  confidence 
of  his  friends.  Unfortunately,  constant  labor 
began  to  tell  upon  his  health  and,  when  he  was 
twenty  years  old,  a  heavy  cold  fastened  so  severely 
upon  him  that  he  fell  ill  with  inflammation  of  the 
lungs,  followed  by  symptoms  of  the  dread  disease, 
consumption. 

He  consulted  an  eminent  doctor,  by  whose  advice 
he  immediately  left  the  city,  with  a  proposed  ocean 
voyage  in  view  for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  He 
journeyed  first  by  stage-coach  to  the  famous  Hot 
Springs  of  Virginia,  where  it  is  said  some  of  his 
father's  relatives  had  taken  up  land.  This  change 
did  him  great  good.  He  not  only  gained  strength 
but  made  many  new  friends.  Their  advice  deep- 
ened his  desire  to  go  to  Europe  to  view  the  art  treas- 
ures of    the  old  world,   and,  with    the  doctor's 


PAINTING  PORTRAITS  AND  MINIATURES     27 

prescription  of  an  ocean  voyage  in  mind,  he  began 
to  plan  to  cross  the  Atlantic. 

During  his  stay  in  Philadelphia,  nearly  four 
years,  he  had  grown  from  a  country  lad,  eager  to 
earn  his  livelihood,  into  a  young  man  of  ability, 
whose  friendship  with  intelHgent  men,  coupled  with 
his  unremitting  study^  had  given  him  mental 
poise  and  an  easy  manner  of  deportment.  No 
longer  was  he  awkward  and  shy,  but  ready  to 
mingle  with  men  and  women  of  culture  and  feel 
himself,  as  indeed  he  was,  one  of  them.  He  had, 
moreover,  proved  the  fact  that  he  could  earn  his 
li\dng  by  art,  for  he  had  saved  a  substantial  *' nest- 
egg,'*  as  the  result  of  his  industry.  With  the  happy 
optimism  of  youth  he  looked  on  the  bright  side  of 
life  and  was  eager  to  see  the  old  world  across  the  seas. 
It  was  a  wise  decision.  His  mind  was  open  to  re- 
ceive impressions  and  keen  to  recognize  universal 
needs,  which  he  could  later  help  science  to  provide. 

One  anxiety  alone  clouded  the  prospect;  not 
his  ill  health,  —  for  already  he  felt  stronger  and 
was  assured  that  he  was  on  the  way  to  complete 
recovery,  —  but  tender  thought  for  his  widowed 
mother.  Up  to  this  time  he  had  been  able,  from 
time  to  time,  to  send  her  gifts  of  money ;  now  he 
took  counsel  with  his  friends  as  to  how  he  might 
best  provide  for  her  future  comfort. 


28  ROBERT  FULTON 

A  family  who  owns  its  home  is  free  from  the 
monthly  bill  of  rental  to  a  landlord.  A  "roof  over 
the  head"  is  of  prime  importance  to  ease  of  mind. 
Possibly  Fulton's  remittances  of  money  had  been 
devoted  to  house  rent ;  be  that  as  it  may,  he  decided 
before  he  set  sail  for  England  to  provide  his  mother 
with  a  home  of  her  own.  She  was  fond  of  a  garden, 
and  flowers  were  her  delight ;  so  he  decided  that  a 
small  farm,  where  food  could  be  produced  for  the 
family  of  growing  girls  and  the  younger  brother, 
would  prove  to  be  the  best  and  wisest  gift  he  could 
bestow.  Our  next  chapter  will  tell  of  the  pleasant 
farm  on  which  Fulton  established  his  mother  and 
family  before  he  set  sail  for  the  old  world. 


CHAPTER  IV 

The  Gift  of  a  Farm 

Did  you  ever  hold  a  camera  film  to  the  light? 
All  things  are  turned  about ;  the  right  side  becomes 
the  left,  and  the  first  object  in  view  appears  to  be 
the  last,  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  picture.  So  it 
seems  when  we  take  a  mental  review  of  the  past,  — 
the  point  of  contact  is  reversed  and  we  can  balance 
accurately  the  Hghts  and  shadows  that  appear. 

To  the  mind  of  Robert  Fulton,  about  to  make  a 
venture  which  called  for  courage,  —  a  voyage  to 
an  unknown  land,  —  the  chief  aim  of  his  life  was 
the  care  of  his  mother,  whom  he  must  leave  behind. 
The  longer  he  thought,  the  more  was  he  convinced 
that  better  than  a  sum  of  money,  which  might  be 
lost  or  stolen,  would  be  the  gift  of  a  farm-home 
where  she  could  settle  down  to  enjoy  an  old  age  of 
security  and  peace. 

We  can  well  imagine  that  he  cast  about  iir  his 
mind  properly  to  determine  the  best  location  for 
this  purchase.  It  appears  that  a  relative,  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Smith,  had  been  called  to  the  pastorate^ 

29 

peSf)^  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 
'^^pisroiOT  HILL.  MASS. 


30  ROBERT  FULTON 

of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  town  of  Hope- 
well, Washington  County,  Pennsylvania.  In  order 
that  his  mother  might  have  the  care  and  protec- 
tion of  this  relative,  Robert  Fulton  decided  to  buy 
the  new  home  in  Hopewell.  He  selected  a  farm  of 
more  than  eighty  acres  on  Cross  Creek,  a  fertile 
spot  near  running  water,  not  unlike  the  farm  which 
had  been  his  mother's  earlier  home  and  his  own 
birthplace. 

The  long  journey  through  the  wilderness  which 
lay  between  the  two  settlements  had  to  be  made 
by  coach  or  wagon.  It  was  like  a  fresh  start  in 
life  to  Mrs.  Fulton  and  her  family,  three  growing 
daughters  and  the  young  lad,  Abraham,  now  about 
sixteen  years  of  age.  The  ''big  brother,"  Robert, 
was  looked  upon  with  great  admiration ;  his  success 
in  Philadelphia,  his  friendship  with  the  famous 
Franklin  and  other  prominent  men  of  the  country, 
and  his  tangible  gift  of  the  new  home  —  all  proofs 
of  his  industry — must  have  filled  the  mother's  heart 
with  gratitude  and  pardonable  pride,  as  she  looked, 
with  mingled  joy  and  anxiety,  at  her  tall  son  battling 
with  ill  health  yet  resolved  to  conquer  that  and 
every  other  obstacle  to  success.  He  must  indeed 
have  been  a  son  and  brother  to  be  proud  of ! 

The  new  home  was  in  Hopewell  Township,  one 
mile  northeast  of  the  present  little  village  of  Buffalo 


THE  GIFT  OF  A  FARM  31 

near  Pittsburgh.  It  was  sold  to  *' Robert  Fulton, 
miniature  painter  of  Philadelphia,"  for  about 
$400.00  —  not  a  large  amount  for  a  home,  to  be 
sure,  but  it  was  quite  a  sum  in  those  days.  We 
know  the  land  had  been  cleared,  cultivated,  and 
planted,  a  great  help  toward  its  establishment  as  a 
productive  farm.  Upon  it  was  a  two-story  peaked- 
roof  dwelling  having  a  central  hallway  and  a 
kitchen  extension.  Chimneys  at  both  ends  pro- 
vided generous  hearths  for  winter  comfort  and  a 
tall  spreading  tree  in  front  gave  grateful  shade 
through  summer  heat.  In  an  old  colored  print 
of  the  scene  several  cows  are  shown  in  the  pasture 
near  the  creek  and  an  adjacent  log  cabin  was 
probably  used  as  a  cattle  barn. 

It  has  been  stated  that  Robert  Fulton  gave  the 
farm  to  his  mother  on  his  twenty-first  birthday,  a 
generous  way  to  prove  that  *'it  is  more  blessed  to 
give  than  to  receive."  Most  of  us  are  looking  for 
gifts  on  similar  happy  occasions ;  it  is  another  and 
a  better  way  to  celebrate  them  by  a  gift  to  the 
mother  who  gave  us  birth.  The  deed  is  dated 
May  6th,  and  Robert's  birthday  did  not  occur 
until  November  14th,  but  the  actual  taking  posses- 
sion of  the  home  may  have  been  deferred  until  the 
latter  date. 

During  the  month  of  September  of  the  same  year, 


32  ROBERT  FULTON 

Robert  Fulton  also  purchased  for  seventy-five 
dollars  four  lots  in  the  town  of  Washington, 
Pennsylvania,  which,  through  the  enterprise  of  its 
pioneer  settler,  John  Hoge,  had  just  been  surveyed 
and  mapped  into  streets.  Washington  seemed  a 
promising  field  for  investment  and  Mr.  Hoge  a 
man  of  integrity  and  good  judgment.  Fulton 
had  great  confidence  in  him,  and  while  in  England 
sent  letters  and  remittances  of  money  for  his 
mother  in  Mr.  Hoge's  care. 

It  appears  that  Fulton  bought  these  four  lots 
with  the  thought  that  they  would  provide  home 
sites  for  his  sisters  and  brother  when  they  married. 
He  later  conveyed  them  to  the  three  sisters,  and 
in  a  letter  to  his  mother,  directed  that  the  fourth 
lot  be  sold  to  pay  the  remainder  of  his  indebtedness 
to  Mr.  Pollack  for  the  purchase  of  the  farm. 

In  1786  Isabella  Fulton  married  Peyton  Cooke. 
In  February  of  that  year  he  obtained  a  deed  for 
"a  lot  of  ground  and  hewed  logs  for  a  home."  At 
the  end  of  the  document  appear  these  words, 
"By  Peyton  Cooke's  direction,  this  deed  is  made 
for  Robert  Fulton.''  Probably  Fulton  had  ad- 
vanced money  for  the  transaction. 

Some  time  later,  Elizabeth  Fulton,  or  Peggy  as 
she  was  called  in  her  brother's  letters,  became  the 
wife  of  a  Mr.  Scott,  who  probably  died  in  a  few 


THE  GIFT  OF  A  FARM  33 

years,  for  his  wife  and  children  made  their  home 
on  the  farm  with  her  mother,  and  its  ownership 
was  secured  to  her  by  Robert  Fulton's  will  in 
1815. 

In  1790  Mary  Fulton,  or  ''Polly,"  married  David 
Morris,  a  nephew  of  Benjamin  West.  Mr.  Morris 
was  a  man  of  local  prominence  and  his  intelligence 
seems  to  have  rendered  him  the  most  companion- 
able of  Robert  Fulton's  brothers-in-law. 

Abraham  Smith  Fulton,  the  only  brother,  is  said 
to  have  opened  a  school  in  the  town  of  Washington. 
During  his  later  life  he  was  employed  by  his  brother 
in  running  an  early  steamboat  on  the  Ohio  River. 
Some  time  after  this,  in  overseeing  the  building  of 
a  log  house,  on  a  bluff  not  far  from  Pittsburgh,  he 
was  instantly  killed  by  the  collapse  of  the  structure. 

This,  in  brief,  is  the  story  of  the  sisters  ajid 
brother  of  Robert  Fulton.  Through  eighteen  years' 
absence  In  Europe  his  love  for  them  remained  true ; 
and  when  he  made  his  will,  in  1 814,  he  left  to  each  a 
legacy,  and  relinquished  all  right  to  money  which 
he  had  at  different  times  lent  them. 

Mr.  Morris  built  the  home  for  his  wife,  Polly 
Fulton,  upon  the  lot  adjoining  Mr.  Hoge's  home, 
given  her  by  her  brother.  A  letter,  written  by 
Robert  Fulton  to  his  mother,  from  London,  June 
14th,  1790,  alludes  to  the  happy  event.    It  shows 


34  ROBERT  FULTON 

so  clearly  his  unchanging  love  and  generosity  that 
I  quote  it  in  full : 

Dear  Mother  ; 

I  have  rec'd  yours  of  January  29th,  1790,  and  am  happy 
to  hear  of  the  good  health  of  the  family  which  is  the  first 
consideration  and  nearest  my  heart.  May  Heaven  con- 
tinue to  Shed  that  blessing  on  you  and  I  shall  be  happy. 

I  canTeasy  conceive  your  garden  to  be  the  best  in  Wash- 
ington ;  Gardening  ever  was  your  delight,  besides  you  have 
a  taste  for  that  kind  of  cultivation  which  perhaps  the  people 
of  your  Western  Country  are  Strangers  to. 

Be  assured  my  Ideas  often  hover  around  the  little  spot. 
I  think  I  see  it  improved  by  your  Industrious  hand  whilst 
the  flowers  of  Spring  lend  their  aid  to  beautify  the  scene; 
but  chief  of  all  I  think  I  see  you  on  a  Sunday  evening  con- 
templatively walking  on  the  grounds  and  with  Silent  pleas- 
ure viewing  the  labours  of  the  week.  And  thus  each  even- 
ing Reflect  with  pleasure  on  the  past  day.  So  shall  time 
pass  on  and  pleasure  Crown  the  evening  of  life.  Here  I 
could  enter  into  a  Chain  of  those  Ideas  which  Crowd  upon 
a  heart  sensible  of  the  feelings  of  a  fond  mother  and  the 
affection  due  from  a  child,  but  I  must  be  silent  and  only 
answer  your  letter. 

It  has  given  me  much  pleasure  that  you  do  not  wish  me 
to  hurry  home  till  I  complete  my  study.  Indeed  it  is  of  so 
much  importance  my  gaining  all  possible  knowledge  that 
should  I  now  return  I  might  have  it  to  repent  of  ever  after. 
And  our  hearing  so  frequently  from  each  other  is  some  rea- 
son why  we  should  be  more  easy  in  the  subject. 

You  tell  me  Polly  is  going  to  be  Mar(r)yed.  May  she  be 
happy,  but  I  will  write  to  her  on  the  subject.  .  .  . 


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THE  GIFT  OF  A  FARM  35 

As  for  the  pictures  for  Polly,  she  should  have  them  with 
pleasure  but  I  do  not  paint  anything  so  Small  and  the 
carryage  of  any  of  my  paintings  would  be  very  expensive 
but  whenever  I  conveniently  can  I  will  send  you  my  own 
picture. 

I  am  just  getting  ready  to  go  to  France  for  3  months  and 
am  afraid  I  shall  not  have  time  to  write  to  Abraham  but 
give  my  best  love  to  him  and  all  friends  and  believe  me  to 
be  with  Continued  affection, 

Your  loving  son, 

Robert  Fulton. 

So  Polly  wanted  some  of  her  brother's  pictures 
to  hang  in  her  new  home ;  and  the  home  itself  was 
built  upon  one  of  the  four  lots  purchased  by  her 
generous  brother. 

But  let  us  turn  in  thought  to  the  young  Robert 
Fulton  bidding  farewell  to  his  mother  and  family, 
in  that  autumn  of  1786.  It  is  probable  that  he 
sailed  from  New  York,  for  in  a  later  letter  he 
mentions  friends  in  that  city  and  also  in  Baltimore, 
where  he  had  stopped  on  his  way  to  Virginia. 

He  was  not  empty-handed;  he  carried  forty 
guineas  in  his  purse  and  one  letter  of  introduction 
which  was  worth  more  than  money,  for  it  was  from 
the  great  Benjamin  Franklin  to  the  American 
artist,  Benjamin  West,  then  at  the  height  of  his 
fame  in  London  and  soon  to  become  president  of 
the  Royal  Academy. 


36  ROBERT  FULTON 

The  vessel  spread  its  white  sails  and  turned  forth 
upon  the  ocean  for  the  long  voyage  to  England; 
and  one  brave  passenger,  the  Pennsylvania  boy, 
Robert  Fulton,  set  his  face  forward  with  eager 
hope  toward  a  new  world. 


CHAPTER  V 

Studying  Art  in  England 

A  VOYAGE  to  England  in  a  sailing  ship  took  time ; 
probably  six  weeks  at  least  elapsed  before  Robert 
Fiilton  could  discern  the  long  gray  coast  line  of 
"Mother  England."  If  anxious  about  the  new 
venture,  or  lonely  for  the  family  he  had  left  behind, 
he  pushed  aside  all  gloomy  thoughts  and  made 
ready  to  meet  the  new  conditions  of  a  strange  land. 

He  journeyed  directly  to  London  to  present  to 
Benjamin  West  the  important  letter  of  introduc- 
tion which  he  carried  from  Dr.  Franklin.  The 
strong  sea  air  and  the  long  rest  on  shipboard  had 
benefited  his  health,  and  he  was  thirsting  to  get  to 
work  as  soon  as  possible. 

His  ease  of  manner  and  self-confidence  had  suf- 
ficed for  the  experiences  of  Philadelphia,  yet  it  is 
reasonable  to  assimie  that  his  heart  beat  fast  when 
he  finally  stood,  letter  in  hand,  at  the  imposing 
doorway  of  Benjamin  West's  fine  house,  for  it 
surpassed  his  expectation  of  grandeur.  To  his 
eyes  it  appeared  a  palace !     The  main  house  was 

37 


38  ROBERT  FULTON 

connected  by  a  long  art  gallery  with  the  studio, 
a  lofty  suite  of  rooms,  filled  with  sketches  and  designs 
for  historical  paintings;  for  West  had  specialized 
in  this  form  of  art  and  had  already  been  favored  by 
royal  recognition.  Approval  by  the  king  was  the 
highest  honor  England  could  bestow,  and  in  time 
West  was  elected  president  of  the  Royal  Academy. 
If  young  Fulton  had  profited  by  his  personal  inter- 
course with  Dr.  Franklin  and  other  men  of  genius 
in  America,  we  may  readily  believe  that  he  gained 
even  greater  mental  stimulus  from  West,  who,  like 
himself,  was  a  Pennsylvania  farm-bred  boy. 

West  and  his  wife  gave  the  young  American  a 
hearty  welcome  and  an  invitation  to  stay  in  their 
home  until  he  found  suitable  lodgings.  He  gladly 
accepted  their  kind  hospitality  and  a  strong  bond 
of  friendship  was  formed  between  the  two  men 
which  endured  throughout  their  lives.  One  of  the 
finest  portraits  we  have  of  Robert  Fulton  was 
painted  by  Benjamin  West. 

^  It  is  said  of  West  that  his  work  was  never  a 
burden  to  him  but  always  a  joy.  He  sat  at  his 
easel  as  though  in  sport,  not  in  labor,  and  painted 
more  than  a  hundred  portraits,  in  addition  to 
large  canvases  depicting  historical  scenes.  In 
studying  the  life  of  any  and  every  great  man,  his 
industry  becomes  our  wonder.    The  same  number 


STUDYING  ART  IN  ENGLAND  39 

of  hours  —  twenty-four  —  are  allotted  to  us  all, 
yet  how  sadly  different  are  the  results  accomplished, 
how  differing  the  totals !  Hard  and  well  directed 
work  is  always  the  secret  of  success. 

It  was  not  long  before  Robert  Fulton's  easel 
was  set  up  in  West's  studio,  and,  under  the  tuition 
of  the  older  man,  the  student  was  working  with 
infinite  pains.  West  must  have  seemed  to  Fulton 
like  a  king  among  men,  and  he  endeavored  to  gain 
all  possible  profit  from  the  master's  lessons. 

His  dear  mother,  on  the  Pennsylvania  farm, 
must  have  been  greatly  cheered  when  she  received 
letters  from  over  the  sea.  She  treasured  the  fol- 
lowing, written  by  Fulton's  friend  George  Sander- 
son, of  Baltimore.  Yellow  with  age,  it  is  still 
carefully  preserved.  It  begins  with  old-time 
formality. 

Baltimore,  25th  July,  1788. 
Madam; 

I  am  happy  in  informing  you  that  I  arrived  here  a  few 
days  since  from  London  where  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
with  your  son,  Robert  Fulton.  He  was  when  I  left  him  in 
perfect  health  &  what  will  I  believe  be  pleasing  information 
to  you,  that  his  improvement  in  the  liberal  art  of  painting 
is  almost  incredible.  Add  to  this  his  personal  accomplish- 
ments &  prudent  behavior  has  gained  him  many  friends  & 
those  who  have  abihty  &  inclination  to  befriend  him. 

Mr.  West,  a  Gentleman  who  is  the  King's  Historical 


40  ROBERT  FULTON 

Painter  &  a  Man  of  independent  Circumstances  I  am  happy 
to  inform  you  is  number'd  among  his  Friends  &  has  in 
consequence  of  your  Son's  ingratiating  address  &  manners, 
patronized  him. 

He  further  speaks  of  "Bob's  regret  that  his 
friends  have  not  dropped  him  a  line  since  he 
arrived  in  England/'  and  offers  to  forward  any 
letters  that  may  come  enclosed  to  his  care  in  Balti- 
more. The  letter,  with  its  quaint  phrases,  gave 
good  reason  for  joy  in  the  quiet  farm-house  by 
Cross  Creek. 

Although  Fulton  stayed  for  a  time  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  West  in  their  delightful  home,  the  burden  of 
seK-support  was  before  him.  He  soon  found 
lodgings  in  the  vicinity,  but  a  "guinea  a  week'' 
was  too  great  a  price  for  his  slender  purse  and  he 
made  another  change;  in  fact,  he  made  several 
during  the  succeeding  years,  "to  suit  his  conven- 
ience" as  he  terms  it  in  a  letter  to  his  mother, 
but  he  always  arranged  to  reside  near  Mr. 
West. 

You  will  notice  that  George  Sanderson  spoke  of 
"Bob's  personal  accomplishments  and  prudent 
behavior.'^  It  is  well  to  make  a  special  mental 
note  of  this  latter  fact,  for  many  a  temptation  comes 
to  a  youth  in  a  strange  land,  yet  there  never  echoes 
a  whisper  of  reproach  against  Fulton's  conduct. 


STUDYING  ART  IN  ENGLAND  41 

This  "prudent  behavior'*  was  a  safeguard  to  his 
character;  he  was  merry-hearted  and  had  many 
friends  but  all  of  the  right  kind. 

On  April  14th,  1789,  Fulton  wrote  his  mother 
that  he  was  in  perfect  health  and  had  good  prospect 
of  succeeding  in  his  profession.  He  confessed 
that  "painting  requires  more  study  than  I  at  first 
imagined,  in  Consequence  of  which  I  will  be 
obliged  to  stay  longer  than  I  expected.  But/'  he 
adds,  "all  things  work  together  for  good  and  I  am 
convinced  my  exertions  will  have  a  good  tendency." 
There  is  brave  hope  in  the  letter  but  a  touch  of 
home-sickness :  "In  your  next  letter,"  he  continues, 
"please  to  give  me  a  very  particular  account  of 
everything  you  know,  particularly  how  you  like 
the  little  farm,  —  if  you  have  a  good  garden,  and 
what  kind  of  neighbors  you  have  got.  And  in 
fact  I  should  like  to  know  everything  that  will  give 
you  pleasure  or  promote  the  happiness  of  the  family. 
There  is  nothing  interrupts  my  happiness  here  but 
the  desire  of  seeing  my  relations,  but  time  will 
bring  us  together  and  I  hope  at  my  return  to  see 
you  all  happy  as  the  day  is  long." 

It  is  a  very  human  letter,  just  such  as  any  fond 
son  might  write  from  a  strange  land.  The  con- 
stancy of  affection,  the  admission  of  loneliness,  the 
confession  that  his  task  is  hard  and  long,  yet  withal, 


42  ROBERT  FULTON 

the  brave  faith  in  the  Bible  promise  taught  by  his 
good  mother  that  '*all  things  work  together  for 
good,"  is  stronger  than  any  note  of  weakness. 

It  was  not  long  before  Fulton's  winning  manner 
gained  him  a  host  of  friends  in  London,  for  in  West's 
studio  he  met  many  prominent  men,  and  they  in 
turn  introduced  him  to  others.  With  one  of  these, 
Mr.  Henry  Fulton,  a  distant  kinsman,  he  became 
intimate  and  arranged  that  all  his  letters  should  be 
sent  in  this  gentleman's  care,  for  he  was  a  London 
merchant  and  well  known.  Mails  were  very 
irregular  in  those  days,  and  it  was  uncertain  whether 
a  letter,  even  when  properly  started,  would  reach 
its  destination.  Postage  rates  were  high  and 
kindly  friends  who  were  crossing  the  ocean  carried 
packets  of  letters  which  they  passed  on  to  other 
travelers,  until  the  missives  finally  reached  the 
persons  for  whom  they  were  intended. 

At  this  point  we  may  let  Fulton  tell  his  own 
story,  for  none  could  tell  it  so  well.  The  letters 
which  follow  are  intimate ;  they  confide  the  secrets 
he  withheld  from  those  about  him  and  confided 
to  his  mother  only  when  times  brightened  and  his 
success  as  an  artist  became  certain. 

Although  happy  in  forming  new  friendships  in  a 
new  land,  Fulton  could  not  forget  the  comrades 
of  his  early  days.    The  fifty  letters  he  so  casually 


STUDYING  ART  IN  ENGLAND  43 

alludes  to  in  the  following  letter  probably  repre- 
sent but  a  few  of  the  many  friends  whom  he  cher- 
ished in  memory  and  desired  to  touch  with  that 
far-reaching  wand,  the  pen  of  remembrance. 

The  letter  to  his  mother  was  written  from  Lon- 
don on  July  31st,  1789. 

Affectionate  Mother  ; 

With  pleasure  I  imbrace  every  opportunity  to  write  you 
and  these  letters  will  be  carryed  to  Phila.  by  Mr.  Benjamin 
Barton;  but  as  I  wrote  you  some  time  ago  in  answer  to 
letters  which  I  Rec'd  from  you  and  Polly,  to  which  Letters 
I  have  as  yet  had  no  answer,  this  must  be  a  short  one  In  which 
I  must  only  give  you  some  account  of  private  affairs.  My 
health  is  perfect:  this  Climate  agrees  well  with  me;  my 
Prospect  is  good  and  In  Short  I  am  very  happy  as  I  have 
many  Respectable  Friends.  But  the  Emence  desire  to  see 
you,  together  with  the  rest  of  my  Family  gives  me  many 
anxious  hours  And  but  for  this  I  could  sit  myself  down  with 
Content  in  England.  But  I  love  my  Country  and  Friends 
And  no  Consideration  shall  separate  me  from  them  —  this 
is  my  present  Resolution.  But  why  do  I  make  this 
promise  ? 

Alas  I  am  possessed  of  no  more  fortitude  than  other  Men, 
and  some  unf orseen  Stroke  may  separate  us  for  ever ;  but 
hope  is  ever  by  my  side  and  I  hope  ere  long  to  have  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  all  of  you.  ... 

As  I  am  frequently  changing  my  Lodgings  to  Suit  my 
Convenience  I  Shall  now  give  you  new  directions  for  your 
letters.  It  is  to  a  permanent  Merchant's  house,  a  namesake 
and  Intimate  friend  of  mine,  and  the  letters  will  be  much 


44  ROBERT  FULTON 

more  likely  to  find  him  than  me  in  which  case  I  shall  allways 
get  them.    You  must  direct  them  exactly  thus 

Mr.  Robert  Fulton, 
Painter, 
To  the  care  of  Mr.  Henry  Fulton, 
No.  9  Watling  Street, 

London. 

I  beg  you'l  pay  particular  attention  and  have  them 
precisely  in  the  above  manner  and  if  they  come  to  London 
I  am  sure  to  get  them.  .  .  . 

You  must  excuse  the  shortness  of  this  letter  as  I  am  under 
the  necessity  of  writing  to  my  Phila.,  Virginia,  New  York, 
Lancaster  and  Baltimorien  friends,  which  in  the  whole 
makes  50  letters  of  much  the  same  length  as  this.  There- 
fore to  conclude  this  I  shall  (torn  place  in  paper)  be  very 
particular  and  let  me  know  every  thing  that  you  possibly 
can  when  you  write  —  to  write  small  and  close  that  you 
may  say  a  great  deal  in  small  compass  for  the  ships  often 
put  the  letters  ashore  at  the  first  port  they  make,  they  come 
post  to  London  And  I  have  often  paid  half  a  gmnea  for  a 
small  package  of  letters.  The  better  to  accomplish  this 
you  better  buy  letter  paper  as  it  is  thin  for  we  pay  according 
to  the  weight  and  not  the  size  so  if  you  can  send  me  a  pound 
of  news  upon  an  ounce  of  paper  I  shall  save  allmost  a  guinea 
by  it. 

I  have  just  left  myself  room  to  wish  all  of  you  every 
happiness  and  love  and  Compliments  to  Mr.  Smith,  Polly, 
Abraham,  Bell  Peyton  and  all  Friends  And  believe  me  to  be 
everything  that  is  dutifull  and  affectionate  in  a  Son,  Brother 
and  Friend, 

R.  Fulton. 


STUDYING  ART  IN  ENGLAND  45 

He  adds  in  postscript : 

I  was  happy  to  hear  by  your  last  letter  directed  to  Mr. 
West  that  you  were  down  in  the  Country  among  our  old 
friends  and  that  they  together  with  my  good  old  Grand- 
mother were  in  good  health. 

This  letter  fairly  depicts  Fulton's  hopes,  long- 
ings, and  accomplishments  during  his  student  days 
in  London.  They  were  days  of  anxiety  and  of 
hard  work;  for  hours  he  would  ponder  over  the 
"ways  and  means"  of  life,  and  had  it  not  been  for 
the  friendship  of  kindly  acquaintances  he  might 
have  yielded  to  despair,  or  have  been  tempted  to 
set  aside  the  chosen  career.  In  poetic  terms  he 
speaks  of  "Poverties'  cold  wind  and  freezing 
rain";  and  it  is  evident  that  he  suffered,  as  far 
as  his  happy  nature  could  permit,  the  pangs  of 
loneliness  and  of  almost  actual  himger.  Yet  he 
pressed  on  with  his  work,  and  in  time  the  magical 
wand  of  industry  wrought  a  welcome  change. 

So  passed  the  first  four  years  of  his  stay  in  Eng- 
land, years  of  fresh  impressions,  strict  economy  and 
untiring  labor.  Added  to  his  anxieties  were  the 
entreaties  of  his  mother  to  return  home,  for  he 
writes,  November  21st,  1790,  "You  must  not  be 
uneasy  at  my  not  returning  home  as  soon  as  I  first 
intended  for  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  my 


46  ROBERT  FULTON 

continuing  to  prosecute  my  studies  in  London, 
and  were  I  to  return  I  must  live  in  Phila.  or  New 
York,  which  would  still  be  distant  from  you.  Be- 
sides the  certain  method  by  which  we  have  letters 
from  each  other  ought  to  make  us  easy." 

His  joy  was  great  when  in  1791  he  attained  the 
honor  and  pleasure  of  admission  of  two  of  his 
canvases  to  the  Royal  Academy  and  four  others 
to  the  Exhibition  of  the  Royal  Society  of  British 
Artists;  the  former  were  portraits  of  young 
gentlemen,  the  latter  more  ambitious  works  similar 
to  West^s  —  a  study  from  the  Bible  story,  ^'Elisha 
Raising  the  Widow's  Son,"  and  ^'Priscilla  and 
Alladine"  from  Spenser's  *' Faerie  Queen." 

It  was  natural  that  he  should  take  up  the  study 
of  English  history  at  this  time,  and  two  paintings, 
"Mary  Queen  of  Scots"  and  "Lady  Jane  Gray" 
are  interesting  and  beautiful  examples  of  his  art. 
Both  were  painted  in  1793.  No  doubt  West 
encouraged  and  instructed  him  in  this  sort  of  work, 
and  Fulton  dreamed  of  a  brilliant  future  like  that 
of  his  teacher. 

We  are  grateful  for  the  light  which  the  letters 
already  quoted  cast  upon  the  years  Fulton  spent 
in  England,  for,  until  their  discovery,  this  period 
was  obscure.  After  he  had  attained  fame,  his 
letters  and  drawings  were   treasured,   but  as  a 


STUDYING  ART  IN  ENGLAND  47 

humble  student  in  a  strange  land,  it  was  difficult 
to  follow  his  routine  of  life.  At  the  close  of  a 
hundred  years,  when  the  city  of  New  York  cele- 
brated the  discovery  of  the  Hudson  River  and 
Fulton's  successful  steam  navigation  upon  it, 
descendants  of  Fulton's  sisters  lent  to  the  New  York 
Historical  Society  for  exhibition,  these  interesting 
documents  which  throw  some  light  on  the  early 
years  of  the  inventor^s  life.  They  had  been 
treasured  by  his  dear  old  mother  on  that  distant 
Pennsylvania  farm,  and  handed  down  through 
several  generations  to  the  present  owners. 


CHAPTER  VI 

From  Art  to  Invention 

If  you  had  been  working  very  hard,  and  sud- 
denly received  an  order  from  an  influential  man 
to  do  a  responsible  piece  of  work  for  him,  you  would 
be  very  happy  over  it.  Such  a  pleasure  came  to 
Robert  Fulton  in  1791,  when  Lord  Courtenay,  the 
Earl  of  Devon,  invited  the  young  artist  to  visit  his 
famous  country  estate,  Powderham  Castle,  during 
the  vacation  month  of  June,  to  paint  his  lordship's 
portrait. 

The  castle  in  Devonshire,  which  is  one  of  Eng- 
land's most  beautiful  counties,  was  about  two 
hundred  miles  from  London.  There  the  Earl 
lived  in  princely  grandeur,  and  admitted  to  his 
court  only  persons  of  equal  rank ;  all  others  were 
entertained  by  his  steward,  a  gentleman  of  birth 
and  education. 

This  visit  proved  a  turning-point  in  Fulton's 
life.  With  high  hope  he  made  the  journey  by  stage- 
coach, reveling  in  the  springtime  glory  of  the 
wooded  country-side.    The  study  of  the  art  treas- 

48 


FROM  ART  TO  INVENTION  49 

ures  in  the  castle,  and  his  appreciation  of  them, 
led  to  a  later  tour  of  other  famous  country-estates 
in  England,  and  he  became  familiar  with  the  great 
masterpieces  of  painting  which  hung  in  the  spacious 
private  galleries  of  the  nobility,  for  Lord  Court enay, 
pleased  with  Fulton's  fulfihnent  of  the  intrusted 
commission,  introduced  him  to  all  his  friends. 

It  was  a  novel  and  valuable  experience  for  the 
young  man.  Devonshire  is  noted  for  its  scenic 
beauty  and  healthful  climate :  so  the  trip  not  only 
gave  the  hard-worked  student  a  beneficial  change 
of  air  and  scene,  but  also  put  money  in  his  purse, 
and  quieted  the  fears  of  possible  failure  which  had 
occasionally  disturbed  his  peace  of  mind. 

Once  again  Fulton  himself  shall  tell  us,  through 
this  quaint  and  delightful  letter  to  his  mother,  of 
the  pleasant  change  which  had  befallen  him: 

DEVONsmRE,  Jan*ry  20th,  1792. 
My  dear  Mother, 

This  morning  I  rec'd  a  package  of  letters  from  Philadel- 
phia among  which  were  one  from  you,  one  from  Abraham 
and  two  from  Mr.  Morris,  one  of  which  was  for  Mr.  West. 
In  Consequence  of  my  leaving  London  on  June  last  for  to  do 
some  business  for  Lord  Courtney  In  Devonshire  which  is 
about  200  miles  from  London  The  letters  by  some  accident 
have  not  reached  me  till  now.  As  you  rely  on  it  I  should 
have  answered  them  by  the  first  Conveyance  —  But  I 
Rec'd  them  with  Infinite  pleasure  as  they  come  from  you 

E 


50  ROBERT  FULTON 

and  Informed  me  of  your  good  health.  And  now  I  will 
attend  to  the  particulars  As  I  am  well  convinced  every 
Incident  Relative  to  my  life  will  Communicate  pleasure 
to  you.  You  express  much  desire  to  know  how  my  pictures 
were  Rec'd  at  the  Royal  Academy  —  this  I  believe  I  an- 
swered before  but  possibly  the  letter  has  miscarryed  You 
will  be  pleased  to  hear  that  I  sent  eight  pictures  which 
Rec'd  every  possible  mark  of  Approbation  that  the  Society 
could  give,  but  these  exertions  are  all  for  honor  —  there  is 
no  prophet  (profit)  arising  from  it.  It  only  tends  to  Create 
a  name  that  may  hereafter  produce  business. 

My  little  tour  through  France  proved  very  agreeable  and 
was  of  some  service  to  me  as  a  painter  in  as  much  as  I  saw 
the  works  of  some  of  the  most  able  masters  in  the  art,  which 
much  improved  my  eye  and  taste. 

Mr.  West  and  me  are  on  a  very  familiar  footing  and 
when  he  is  in  town  pays  me  much  attention  which  is  ex- 
tremely agreeable  as  we  live  near  each  other. 

.  .  .  And  I  must  now  Give  Some  little  history  of  my  life 
since  I  came  to  London.  I  brought  not  more  than  40 
Guineas  to  England  and  was  set  down  in  a  strange  Country 
without  a  friend  and  only  one  letter  of  Introduction  to  Mr. 
West  —  here  I  had  an  art  to  learn  by  which  I  was  to  earn 
my  bread  but  little  to  support  whilst  I  was  doing  it.  And 
numbers  of  Eminent  Men  of  the  same  profession  which  I 
must  Excell  before  I  Could  hope  to  live.  Many,  many  a 
Silent  solitary  hour  have  I  spent  in  the  most  unnerved 
Studdy  Anxiously  pondering  how  to  make  funds  to  support 
me  till  the  fruits  of  my  labours  should  be  sufficient  to  pay 
them.  Thus  I  went  on  for  near  four  years  —  happily 
beloved  by  all  who  knew  me  or  I  had  long  ere  now  been 
Crushed  by  Proverties  Cold  wind  —  and  Freezing  Rain  -^ 


FROM  ART  TO  INVENTION  51 

till  last  summer  I  was  Invited  by  Lord  Courtney  down  to  his 
Country  seat  to  paint  a  picture  of  him  which  gave  his 
Lordship  so  much  pleasure  that  he  has  introduced  me  to  all 
his  Friends.  And  it  is  but  just  now  that  I  am  beginning  to 
get  a  little  money  and  pay  some  debt  v/hich  I  was  obliged 
to  Contract  so  I  hope  in  about  6  months  to  be  clear  with  the 
world  or  in  other  words,  out  of  debt,  and  then  start  fair 
to  Make  all  I  Can. 

You  see  dear  Mother  this  is  very  different  from  being 
Rich(?)  not  that  I  can  say  I  ever  was  in  absolute  want. 
Heaven  has  been  kind  to  me  and  I  am  thankfull  —  hoping 
now  to  go  on  Smooth  and  happy  as  the  absence  from  my 
friends  will  admit  of  —  I  am  happy  to  hear  that  all  my  rela- 
tions are  well.  I  shall  write  to  them  separately.  I  enjoy 
excellent  health  which  I  hope  will  Continue  till  I  may  have 
the  happiness  of  seeing  you.  Please  to  remember  me  kindly 
to  Mr.  Smith  and  all  friends  And  may  Heaven  Continue  its 
blessings  towards  you  is  the  most  unfeigned  wish  of  your 
Obedient  Son, 

Robert  Fulton. 

You  will  notice  that  Fulton  says  that  Lord 
Courtenay  had  introduced  him  to  all  his  friends. 
Among  them  were  two  men  of  rank  and  high  intelli- 
gence, the  Duke  of  Bridgewater  and  Earl  Stanhope, 
whose  influence  at  this  time  seems  partly  respon- 
sible for  a  sudden  change  in  Fulton's  line  of  thought. 

The  Duke  of  Bridgewater  owned  vast  coal 
mines.  He  sold  their  product  in  the  growing  town  of 
Manchester  where  coal  was  in  demand  for  the  many 


52  ROBERT  FULTON 

factories;  but  every  load  had  to  be  carried  upon 
the  backs  of  pack  horses  and  the  transportation 
was  slow  and  difficult.  The  duke  had  been  trying 
to  find  an  easier  way  and,  by  the  advice  of  a  clever 
/  workman,  he  had  opened  a  canal  through  his  land, 
and  shipped  the  coal  on  barges.  This  plan  worked 
well  and  wealth  began  to  pour  into  the  duke's 
coffers.  This  led  to  his  desire  to  dig  canals  through- 
out England  so  that  produce  from  farms  might 
easily  be  sold.^  The  idea  was  not  new,  for  such 
waterways  had  already  been  used  in  Europe  and 
in  Asia ;  but  the  duke's  way  of  building  them  was 
somewhat  novel,  and  one  of  the  great  difficulties 
he  encountered  was  that  of  overcoming  the  many 
different  water  levels. 

"  When  we  recall  the  old-time  methods,  —  stage- 
coaches lumbering  their  slow  way  along  post- 
roads;  sailing  vessels  tacking  their  roundabout 
paths  across  the  oceans;  and  harvests  wilting  on 
the  ground  because  farmers  had  no  way  to  send 
them  to  the  cities  where  the  hungry  would  gladly 
have  bought  them ;  —  when  we  remember  all  this 
we  can  quickly  realize  why  the  thoughtful  men  of 
the  world  were  beginning  to  try  to  plan  new  and 
better  ways  of  transportation. 

Robert  Fulton  could  look  back  in  thought  to  his 
boyhood  days  in  Lancaster^  and  recall  the  story  of 


I 


FROM  ART  TO  INVENTION  53 

the  enrichment  of  certain  farmlands  by  a  clever 
Swiss  settler,  who  had  watered  a  whole  range  of 
hitherto  barren  land,  by  simply  cutting  trenches 
along  the  side  of  a  hill,  wherein  water  was  conducted, 
from  upper  springs,  to  the  thirsty  lands  below. 
The  digging  of  channels  to  form  watercourses  was 
not  new ;  it  had  proved  its  value. 

Inspired  by  the  need  of  the  Duke  of  Bridgewater, 
and  impressed  by  the  money  earned  by  his  simple 
device,  Robert  Fulton  set  himself  to  study  out  a 
better  way  to  build  canals. 

In  fact,  about  this  time  he  appears  to  have  been 
^  pondering  on  many  practical  methods  to  simplify 
work.  He  visited  the  stone  and  marble  quarries 
in  Devonshire  and  found  that  the  digging  and 
raising  of  the  heavy  products  was  extremely  hard 
work.  His  first  invention  was  a  mill  for  sawing 
marble  and  stone,  which  proved  so  successful  that 
when  Fulton  returned  to  London  in  the  autumn  he 
sent  his  model  to  the  Society  of  Arts,  Commerce 
and  Manufactures  and  received  a  silver  medal  and 
the  thanks  of  the  society. 

Two  talents  were  now  striving  for  expression  in 
Fulton's  active  mind,  art  and  science.  One  or  the 
other  had  to  have  his  full  devotion ;  and  about  this 
time  he  seems  to  have  laid  aside  his  brushes,  with 
all  their  charm  and  the  rewards  which  he  was  just 


S4  ROBERT  FULTON 

beginning  to  realize,  and  to  have  deliberately  taken 
up  the  practical  problems  of  invention. 

This  change  was  not  because  he  did  not  love  art, 
for  throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life  he  con- 
tinued, from  time  to  time,  to  paint  portraits; 
he  was  ever  a  devoted  patron  and  friend  of  art, 
but  there  was  not  time  for  both  professions,  and 
that  of  the  inventor  now  made  the  stronger  appeal. 
-  The  everyday  needs  were  those  which  won 
Fulton's  earliest  attention.  He  made  a  machine 
for  spinning  flax,  perhaps  in  thought  of  his  patient 
mother  at  home,  working  at  her  old-time  spinning- 
wheel  ;  and  he  next  produced  a  machine  for  making 
rope.  It  stood  in  a  room  forty  feet  square  and 
could  be  worked  by  one  man,  twisting  cordage  of 
any  size  and  winding  rope  yarn  on  spools. 

In  these  inventions  Fulton  saw  an  opportunity 
to  help  mankind  to  better  and  easier  methods  of 
work,  and  also  a  way  of  securing  a  competence. 
His  vision  was  wide;  humanity  was  one  family, 
and  the  round  world  provided  a  vast  field  for  labor. 
It  is  not  probable  that  he  could  have  gained  this 
view  of  life  if  he  had  tarried  in  quiet  Lancaster. 

He  stayed  in  Devonshire  nearly  two  years, 
although  he  returned  to  London  for  occasional 
visits.  From  Devonshire  he  went  to  Birmingham, 
a  town  of  industrial  importance,  where  he  studied 


lU^f-^-.    34^',-^ 


^f-'A.^  ~,  -      j'lWSiA.-^ 


Ir/   (-'  ^)/(///fm^h//ji\ 


The  Washwoman. 

The  earliest  known  drawing  by  Robert  Fulton.   Owned  by  the  Estate  of 

Joseph  Bringhurst. 


FROM  ART  TO  INVENTION  55 

the  method  of  the  Duke  of  Bridgewater  for  build- 
ing canals  from  that  point  to  the  seaports  of 
England.  From  that  time  on  his  mind  was  con- 
cerned with  plans  for  better  means  of  transport. 
The  years  1792  to  1796  were  filled  with  new  activi- 
ties, new  plans,  new  friends,  new  places  of  residence. 
He  visited  France,  he  toured  Devonshire,  he  went 
to  Birmingham  and  Manchester,  the  most  impor- 
tant manufacturing  centers  in  England  where 
machinery  of  the  highest  type  then  known  was  in 
use. 

By  1794  Fulton  had  invented  an  inclined  plane 
for  use  in  canals,  by  means  of  which  boats  could  be 
lifted  by  upright  hoists  or  rails  to  different  levels 
of  water;  his  hope  was  to  avoid  the  complicated 
system  of  locks.  He  patented  it  in  London,  and 
described  himself  '^  Robert  Fulton,  late  of  the  City 
of  Exeter,  but  now  of  the  City  of  London,  Gentle- 
man," which  indicates  that  he  had  laid  aside  his 
former  titles,  "miniature  painter,"  and  "painter." 

During  his  stay  in  Manchester  Fulton  met 
young  Robert  Owen,  the  manager  of  Drinkwater's 
Mill,  the  first  mill  to  use  steam  power.  Owen  was 
a  fellow  of  fine  intelligence  and  the  two  young  men 
found  many  interests  in  common. 

With  other  well-chosen  comrades  they  formed  a 
club  which  met  on  winter  evenings  to  debate  all 


56  ROBERT  FULTON 

sorts  of  subjects,  —  chemistry,  science  and  reli- 
gion. They  called  themselves  "philosophers"; 
and  so  interesting  were  their  meetings  that  they 
were  very  popular  and  well  attended. 

One  of  the  members  was  John  Dalton,  who  later 
became  a  noted  chemist,  and  another  was  the  fine 
poet,  Samuel  Taylor  Coleridge,  then  a  student  at 
Cambridge,  so  he  could  only  come  during  vacation 
times. 

In  1794  Fulton  and  Owen  formed  a  partnership 
for  Inclined  Planes  and  Canal  Excavations.  Owen 
promised  to  advance  the  money  and  Fulton  "to 
apply  his  whole  time  and  exertions  to  the  said 
business."  But  the  following  spring,  after  a 
disappointment  through  the  postponement  of 
digging  a  canal  at  Gloucester,  the  two  men  dis- 
solved the  partnership  by  mutual  consent.  An 
unbroken  friendship  continued  between  them,  and 
in  old  age  Owen  referred  with  pleasure  to  the  fact 
that  he  had  been  able  to  advance  Fulton  in  a 
career  which  later  was  of  such  benefit  to  the  world. 

In  1796  Fulton  wrote  to  Owen  that  he  had  made 
an  improvement  in  the  "tanning  business"  and 
that  it  promised  to  pay  well.  This  goes  to  show 
how  many  plans  he  carried  in  his  fertile  brain, 
but  at  this  time  he  was  chiefly  concerned  in  canal 
work. 


FROM  ART  TO  INVENTION  57 

During  this  year  he  produced  his  first  publication, 
**A  Treatise  on  the  Improvement  of  Canal  Naviga- 
tion/' and  signed  it  *'R.  Fulton,  Civil  Engineer." 
Much  time  was  spent  over  this  production  for  he 
illustrated  it  with  seventeen  plates  and  sent  it 
broadcast  to  the  distinguished  men  of  the  world. 
In  several  instances  he  wrote  personal  letters  to 
accompany  the  book,  by  which  he  hoped  to  awaken 
wide  interest. 

He  sent  one  letter  to  Governor  Mifflin  of  Penn- 
sylvania, another  to  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  and  a 
third  to  George  Washington,  then  President  of  the 
United  States.  This  letter  is  interesting  as  show- 
ing how  great  a  system  of  canal  extension  Fulton 
had  in  mind : 

London,  Sept.  12th,  1796. 
To  His  Excellency, 

George  Washington, 

President  of  the  United  States : 
Sir; 

By  my  Friend,  Dr.  Edwards,  I  beg  leave  to  present  you 
with  this  pubUcation;  which  I  hope  will  be  honored  with 
your  Perusal  at  a  leisure  hour :  the  object  of  which  is  to 
Exhibit  the  Certain  mode  of  Giving  Agriculture  to  every 
Acre  of  the  immense  Continent  of  America  By  Means  of  a 
Creative  System  of  Canals : 

When  this  Subject  first  entered  my  thoughts,  I  had  no 
Idea  of  its  Consequences :  But  the  Scene  gradually  opened 
and  at  length  exhibited  the  most  extensive  and  pleasing 


58  ROBERT  FULTON 

prospect  of  Improvements;  hence  I  now  Consider  it  of 
much  national  Importance ;  and  View  it  like  the  applica- 
tion of  those  particular  principles  which  produce  certain 
effects : 

Thus  the  discovery  of  the  Mariner's  Compass  Gave 
Commerce  to  the  World. 

The  Invention  of  printing  is  dissipating  darkness  and 
giving  a  Polish  to  the  Mass  of  Men. 

And  the  Introduction  of  the  Creative  System  of  Canals 
as  certain  in  their  efitects  will  give  an  Agricultural  Polish  to 
Every  Acre  of  America.  I  therefore  Beg  Leave  to  Submit  to 
your  Contemplation  the  Last  Chapter  with  the  Supplement ; 
which  Exhibits  the  specific  System  for  America :  And  hop- 
ing that  your  Excellencies  Sanction  will  awaken  the  Public 
attention  to  the  Subject ;  I  Remain  with  all  possible  respect. 
Your  Excellencies 

Most  Obedient  and  Very  Himible  Servant, 

Robert  Fulton. 

The  letter,  hopefully  sent  by  a  friendly  hand, 
was  duly  received  and  politely  acknowledged  by  our 
first  president,  who,  on  the  14th  of  December, 
expressed  his  thanks  and  confessed  "the  subject  is 
interesting  and  I  dare  presume  is  well  treated  but 
as  the  Book  came  to  me  in  the  midst  of  busy  pre- 
paratory  scenes  for  Congress  I  have  not  had  leisure 
yet  to  give  it  the  perusal  which  the  importance  of 
such  work  would  merit.  I  shall  do  it  with  pleasure, 
I  am  persuaded,  when  I  have." 

President  Washington's  letter  must  have  seemed 


FROM  ART  TO  INVENTION  59 

somewhat  disappointing,  after  waiting  five  months, 
but  optimism  was  Fulton's  strong  point  and  he 
thrived  on  even  a  crumb  of  encouragement.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  day  after  its  receipt,  we  find  that 
Fulton  followed  up  the  matter  by  another  letter; 
it  shows  that  the  young  American  had,  as  a  base 
for  calculation,  only  the  carriage  rates  from  Lan- 
caster to  Philadelphia,  yet  with  how  sublime  a 
faith  he  prophesies  the  extension  of  a  canal  from 
Philadelphia  to  Lake  Erie,  —  the  first  predictioiT 
of  the  great  Erie  Canal !  It  was  a  brave  flight  of 
fancy  but  was  actually  realized  during  the  early 
part  of  the  next  century,  —  Fulton  having  been 
the  earliest  to  foresee  its  possibility. 

He  trusts  that  "His  Excellency  will  soon  have 
time  to  peruse  his  pamphlet  on  small  canals  ^in 
tranquil  retirement  from  the  busy  operations  of  a 
Pubhc  life.' "  He  confessed  that  the  greatest  dif- 
ficulty in  the  plan  was  to  devise  a  method  to  raise 
the  vast  sum  of  money  for  the  canals.  At  first 
thought,  he  considered  them  "national  works," 
to  be  built  at  the  expense  of  the  government,  but 
finally  concludes  that  an  incorporated  company  of 
subscribers  should  be  formed  who  would  pledge  them- 
selves to  apply  one  half,  or  any  agreed  part,  of  their 
profits  to  extension  as  it  would  then  be  to  their  in- 
terest to  promote  the  work  and  to  guard  the  earnings. 


6o  ROBERT  FULTON 

Then  Fulton  includes  other  states  in  the  calcula- 
tion and  predicts  "a  creative  system  which  would 
fill  the  whole  country  and  in  less  than  a  century 
bring  water-carriage  within  the  easy  cartage  of 
every  acre  of  the  American  States,  conveying  the 
surplus  labours  of  one  hundred  millions  of  men, 
and  bind  the  whole  in  bonds  of  social  intercourse.'* 

Fulton  wrote  also  to  the  great  Napoleon  and 
presented  his  plan  with  considerable  originality. 
He  said  that  *'fear  of  envy  or  the  criticism  of 
ignorance  is  frequently  the  cause  of  preventing 
ingenious  men  from  making  important  discoveries  ;'* 
and  adds,  ''the  mechanic  should  sit  down  among 
levers,  screws,  wedges,  wheels,  etc.  like  a  poet 
among  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  considering 
them  as  the  exhibition  of  his  thoughts,  in  which  a 
new  arrangement  transmits  a  new  Idea  to  the 
world."  He  reminded  Napoleon  that  ''men  of  the 
least  genius  are  the  first  to  condemn  and  the  last 
to  praise  a  new  idea,  because  they  have  not  the 
sense  to  grasp  the  produce  of  genius  when  they 
see  it.'' 

It  was  rather  a  daring  deed  for  a  young  engineer 
to  venture  to  offer  to  Washington  and  Napoleon, 
world-famous  men  of  their  day,  a  new  idea  to 
benefit  their  respective  countries.  He  also  tried 
to  influence  public  opinion  in   England  by  the 


FROM  ART  TO  INVENTION  6l 

publication  in  the  London  Morning  Star  of  some 
essays  on  Canal  Navigation, 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  these  literary  productions 
brought  some  money  to  Fulton's  pocket,  for  he 
was  so  interested  in  his  canal  project  that  he  had 
not  touched  his  painting  for  two  years.  He  was 
on  a  fearless  quest  for  new  methods  to  solve  world- 
wide problems.  He  dared  to  be  original.  Many  a 
man  who  dared  less  has  failed  to  bring  valuable 
aid  to  humanity. 

And  so  Fulton  changed  his  career  from  art  to 
invention,  a  turn  in  the  tide  of  his  thought  which 
brought  much  good  to  the  world.  But  he  retained 
his  love  for  beauty  and  his  hand  never  lost  its 
cunning ;  and  later,  in  hours  of  leisure,  he  painted 
portraits  as  strong  and  expressive  as  in  his  younger 
days. 


CHAPTER  VII 
Achievements  in  Paris 

If  we  had  time  to  trace  all  the  events  in  Fulton's 
life  during  these  busy  years,  they  would  tell  us 
.that  the  way  to  fame  is  by  slow  plodding.  When 
we  read  about  great  men  we  ought  to  remember 
that  they  did  not  rise  like  rockets  from  the  darkness 
but  by  slow,  patient  effort  climbed  into  the  light 
of  fame. 

During  the  year  1797  Fulton  was  encouraged, 
by  the  acceptance  of  his  plan  to  build  a  canal  from 
Paris  to  Dieppe  and  Cambrai,  to  move  from  Eng- 
land to  France.  He  had  earlier  visited  France  to 
study  the  art  treasures  in  famous  galleries,  but 
his  journey  this  time  assumed  quite  another  aspect, 
for  the  two  countries  had  been  at  war  for  four 
years.  At  this  time,  however,  they  enjoyed  a  short 
armistice,  or  period  of  peace,  and  Fulton  took  the 
opportunity  to  obtain  a  passport  from  the  Direc- 
tory, or  French  Governing  Board. 

He  began  about  this  time  to  try  to  devise  a  way 
to  end  warfare  between  nations,  —  a  dream  en- 

62 


ACHIEVEMENTS  IN  PARIS  63 

joyed  by  many  kindly  men  of  this  day,  who  have 
formed  the  Tribunal  for  Universal  Peace  at  the 
Hague.  With  this  thought  in  mind  he  planned  to 
protect  the  seas,  those  vast  waterways  between 
continents.  He  urged  Free  Trade  between  nations, 
and  wrote  a  paper  on  the  subject  to  define  his 
views.  It  shows  how  deeply  he  had  studied  that 
world-wide  problem. 

The  age  in  which  Fulton  lived  provided  the  tools 
to  shape  his  life.  When  a  boy,  he  had  heard  of  the 
honrors  of  battles  during  the  War  of  the  Revolution, 
and  had  experienced  later  the  joys  of  peace.  Ful- 
ton was  an  ardent  Republican  and  believed  in  the 
right  of  a  people  to  rule  their  nation.  When 
Great  Britain  began  to  lay  claim  to  "supremacy 
on  the  sea"  the  statesmen  of  America  felt  some 
alarm.  Not  only  had  their  ships  to  fear  naval 
prowess,  but  there  were  pirates,  whose  plunderings 
were  related  with  horror.  These  conditions  caused 
Fulton  to  realize  that  the  highways  of  the  oceans 
must  be  made  safe  so  that  all  the  nations  of  the 
world  could  live  in  peace  without  fear  of  one  an- 
other. 

In  1798  Fulton  wrote  to  a  friend : 


(( 


A  free  trade,  or  in  other  words,  a  free  ocean,  is  partic- 
ularly Important  to  America.  I  would  ask  anyone  if  all 
the  American  difficulties  during  this  war  is  not  owing  to  the 


64  ROBERT  FULTON  . 

Naval  systems  of  Europe  and  a  licensed  Robbery  on  the 
ocean?  how  then  is  America  to  prevent  this?  Certainly 
not  by  attempting  to  build  a  fleet  to  cope  with  the  fleets  of 
Europe,  but  if  possible  by  Rendering  the  European  fleets 
useless." 

From  the  foregoing  we  learn  the  reason  for  the 
secret  invention  he  had  in  mind  during  the  years 
he  spent  in  France.  Robert  Fulton  planned  to 
build  a  boat  to  descend  beneath  the  water,  which 
should  carry  masses  of  gunpowder  to  be  placed 
wherever  desired.  These  bombs,  as  we  would 
call  them,  could  be  set  by  time-clocks  so  that  they 
would  later  discharge  their  fire.  We  are  familiar 
enough  with  submarines,  now  that  they  are  in  use 
in  our  own  and  other  navies,  but  how  impossible 
such  a  contrivance  seemed  in  Fulton*s  day!  He 
called  his  invention  ^'torpedo,"  a  name  which  has 
since  been  universally  used  for  all  such  submarine 
vessels.  He  had  his  inspiration  for  the  name  from 
a  strange  fish  of  which  he  had  read  in  the  travels  of 
Sir  Thomas  Herbert,  where  it  was  described  as  a 
*'Torpsedo  or  Cramp  Fish"  which,  when  the  ex- 
plorer and  his  companion  took  in  their  hands, 
alarmed  them  so  greatly  that  they  trembled; 
for  "it  let  forth  a  cold  breath  upon  them,  so  they 
would  be  so  frightened  that  they  w^ould  let  it  go." 
You  will  see  that  Fulton's  strange  boat,  like  this 


ACHIEVEMENTS  IN  PARIS  65 

fish,  was  to  let  forth  a  strange  breath  of  fire  upon  its 
enemies.    He  chose  the  name  well. 

This  dreadful  machine  of  war  seemed  indeed  a 
curious  instrument  to  bring  peace.  His  plan  was 
to  manufacture  so  deadly  a  weapon  of  warfare 
that  no  nation  would  dare  to  enter  into  a  battle 
on  the  seas. 

Fulton  had  to  tarry  three  weeks  at  Calais  before 
his  passport  arrived.  With  this  he  soon  reached 
Paris. 

He  found  the  city  gay  and  happy,  with  all 
remembrance  of  warfare  put  away. 

He  sought  lodgings  at  an  excellent  hotel  where 
he  was  fortunate  in  meeting  an  American  gentle- 
man, Joel  Barlow  by  name,  and  his  wife.  Between 
the  three  there  arose  a  lifelong  friendship  of  rare 
intimacy.  Fulton  was  always  happy  in  the  selec- 
tion of  friends,  in  this  instance  particularly,  for 
Barlow  was  a  man  of  considerable  distinction  in 
literature,  statesmanship,  and  philosophy.  Fulton 
was  a  young  man  of  agreeable  presence  and  attrac- 
tive manner  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barlow  became 
greatly  interested  in  him.  When  they  moved 
into  their  own  house,  having  no  son  of  their  own, 
they  invited  Fulton  to  live  with  them,  and  the 
friendship  so  strengthened  that  for  seven  years 
Fulton  remained,  almost  as  a  son,  in  their  home. 


66  ROBERT  FULTON 

Mr.  Barlow  had  been  American  Minister  to 
Algiers,  where  he  made  important  treaties  and 
accomplished  valuable  diplomatic  service  in  what 
was  then  a  very  difficult  field.  He  was  a  man  of 
wealth,  and  when  released  from  office  at  the 
embassy,  he  moved  to  Paris  where  he  could  estab- 
lish a  home  and  live  among  his  books  and  papers ; 
for  he  was  an  industrious  writer  of  political  and 
historical  essays. 

Barlow  interested  himself  in  strengthening  the 
friendliness  between  the  United  States  and  France. 
He  knew  the  great  men  of  both  countries  and  by 
his  side  Fulton  found  genuine  inspiration.  He 
immediately  set  himself  to  the  task  of  making 
drawings  and  plans  to  secure  a  patent  for  his 
Inclined  Plane  for  Canal  Navigation,  which  was 
duly  granted  on  the  14th  of  February,  1798,  —  a 
pleasant  valentine ! 

Again  Fulton  wrote  to  Napoleon  and  to  other 
great  men  describing  the  invention,  —  in  fact,  the 
emperor  was  to  hear  much  of  the  American  inventor 
from  this  time  on. 

No  sooner  was  he  settled  in  Mr.  Barlow's  home 
than  Fulton  commenced  the  study  of  the  French 
language,  and  later  German  and  Italian.  As  his 
need  arose,  in  the  development  of  his  inventions, 
he  also  studied  higher  mathematics,  chemistry, 


ACHIEVEMENTS  IN  PARIS  67 

perspective  drawing  and  physics.  He  was  twenty- 
nine  years  of  age  at  this  time  but  was  wise  enough 
to  know  that  "one  is  never  too  old  to  learn.'* 

Of  course  he  needed  money  and  naturally  he 
took  up  his  brush  to  earn  it.  About  this  time  he 
painted  several  portraits,  one  a  fine  likeness  of  his 
good  friend  Joel  Barlow.  West  had  probably 
given  him  letters  of  introduction  to  the  artists  of 
Paris,  for  Fulton  was  soon  at  home  among  them. 
Vanderlyn  made  a  charming  pencil  sketch  of 
Fulton;  and  Houdon,  the  famous  sculptor,  who 
had  visited  America  with  Benjamin  Franklin, 
carved  a  marble  bust  of  Fulton  which  is  now 
preserved  in  the  Louvre.  During  the  Hudson- 
Fulton  Celebration,  this  bust  was  reproduced  in 
bronze  for  the  New  York  Historical  Society  and 
also  for  the  Metropolitan  Museum. 

The  great  men  of  the  world  are  always  the  busiest. 
Fulton  accomplished  much  during  the  fifty  years 
of  his  life.  He  was  never  idle,  and  he  made  each 
day  count  for  something.  This  is  a  good  rule  to 
remember,  for  so  many  days  are  likely  to  slip  by 
without  real  result.  The  sum  total  of  a  life's 
work  is  only  the  mere  addition  of  many  so-called 
** small"  duties. 

Fulton  still  remembered  his  dear  old  mother  in 
the  distant  farm-home  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in 


6S  ROBERT  FULTON 

1799  sent  her  so  delightful  a  letter,  with  a  present 
of  thirty-six  guineas,  that  you  will  want  to  read 
this  proof  of  his  faithful  affection ;  and,  perhaps, 
smile  a  little  over  his  merry  pleasantries  about  the 
French  ladies,  and  his  sturdy  preference  for  the 
ladies  of  his  own  land. 

Paris,  July  2,  1799. 
My  dear  Mother  ; 

Still  Europe  holds  me,  not  by  ties  of  affection  but  by  the 
bonds  of  business  with  which  I  am  ever  so  much  engaged 
that  I  have  not  had  time  even  to  fall  in  love :  And  now 
having  arrived  at  the  age  of  32  years  the  ladies  of  my  ac- 
quaintance, who,  good  creatures,  are  much  concerned  for  my 
future  happiness  and  honour,  begin  to  fear  that  I  shall  die 
an  Old  bachelor;  hence  with  eyes  full  of  regard  and  the 
sweetest  arguments  they  persuade  me  to  avoid  so  miserable 
an  end:  In  my  own  mind  I  have  determined  to  avoid  it 
but  it  is  my  intention  to  reserve  all  my  affections  for  some 
amiable  American  whose  customs  and  manners  I  prefer  to 
anything  I  have  yet  seen  in  Europe.  You  will  now  ask 
when  shall  this  be,  —  when  will  I  return.  This  I  will  no 
longer  promise  because  having  promised  frequently  without 
being  able  to  perform  there  is  not  much  reliance  in  them : 
But  still  I  hope  the  time  is  not  distant  when  I  will  step  into 
your  little  neat  room,  in  one  corner  of  which  perhaps  you 
have  my  picture,  the  only  donation  which  I  then  had  in  my 
power  to  present,  because  being  my  own  work  it  was  at- 
tended with  very  little  expense. 

But  in  this  letter  I  send  you  thirty  six  pictures  of  the  late 
King  of  France,  known  in  America  by  the  name  of  French 


ACHIEVEMENTS  IN  PARIS  69 

guineas ;  these,  my  dear  mother,  I  hope  will  be  of  use  to  you, 
and  help  to  take  some  weight  of  cares  ofif  your  weight  of 
years.  And  each  year  I  will  endeavor  to  aid  you  in  propor- 
tion to  my  circumstances. 

I  am  in  excellent  health,  six  feet  high  and  thin;  this 
being  thin  I  think  rather  an  advantage  because  it  suffers 
(allows)  a  man  to  be  active.  I  would  not  be  loaded  with 
the  quantity  of  fat  which  some  gentlemen  are  obliged  to 
carry  into  company,  not  for  their  whole  estate.  .  .  . 

To  Mr.  Smith,  my  Sisters,  Brothers  in  law  and  friends, 
remember  me  with  love  and  friendship,  and  believe  me 
everything  which  is  right  in  an  affectionate  son, 

Robert  Fulton. 

Fulton's  mother  died  during  this  year,  1799,  in 
the  Pennsylvania  farm-house,  and  it  is  doubtful 
whether  his  letter  reached  her.  If  it  did,  the 
thirty-six  guineas,  the  *' pictures  of  the  late 
King  of  France,"  and  the  happy  letter,  with  its 
promise  of  home-coming,  must  have  gladdened 
her  heart. 

Before  we  take  up  the  story  of  the  submarine 
torpedo-boat  work,  —  as  difficult  as  that  of  his 
later  invention  of  steam  navigation,  —  let  us 
recall  another  venture  which  Fulton  made,  along 
quite  another  line.  Upon  his  arrival  in  Paris  he 
had  noticed  the  gayety  and  joyousness  of  the  French 
and  he  decided  to  appeal  to  these  happy  people 
with  a  new  form  of  amusement,  a  painted  panorama. 


70  ROBERT  FULTON 

It  is  only  necessary  to  remind  ourselves  of  the 
astounding  popularity,  in  our  day,  of  moving- 
pictures,  to  realize  how  fortunate  Fulton  was  in 
his  plan  to  amuse  the  people  of  Paris.  A  Scotch- 
man, Robert  Barker,  had  painted  a  panorama  of 
the  city  of  Edinburgh,  to  exhibit  in  London  in 
1789.  Possibly  Fulton  had  seen  this  exhibit,  for  it 
had  proved  highly  successful;  at  any  rate,  he 
applied  for  a  French  patent,  which  was  granted  in 
April,  1799,  to  "Robert  Fulton  of  the  United 
States''  for  a  term  of  ten  years. 

Fulton's  panorama  was  almost  twice  as  large  as 
the  Scotchman's.  He  secured  a  plot  of  ground  in  a 
central  part  of  the  city,  and  built  a  loft,  in  circular 
shape,  upon  it.  The  queer-looldng  building  at- 
tracted immediate  attention.  In  it  Fulton  hung 
the  huge  canvas,  and  his  industrious  hand  painted 
the  startling  scene,  "The  Destruction  of  Moscow," 
a  scene  of  pillage  and  devastation,  such  as  Benjamin 
West  had  taught  him  to  depict.  The  subject  was 
attractive  to  the  people,  who  were  considering 
rumors  of  war,  and  they  flocked  in  crowds  to  view 
the  fiery  representation.  The  entrance  fee  was 
a  franc  and  a  half,  so  money  began  to  pour  into 
Fulton's  empty  purse.  So  noted  did  the  panorama 
become  that  a  popular  song  of  the  day  was  sung  in 
the  streets  extolling  its  excellence.     One  cannot 


ACHIEVEMENTS  IN  PARIS  71 

but  wonder  whether  Fulton  himself,  perhaps  at 
Barlow's  suggestion,  wrote  the  words  to  advertise 
the  new  amusement. 

We  can  almost  fancy  that  we  see  and  hear  the 
care-free  crowd,  strolling  through  the  street,  where 
now  an  arcade  called  "Passage  des  Panoramas" 
marks  the  place,  singing  the  popular  air  as  they 
crowded  to  the  door  of  entrance,  just  as  people 
flock  to-day  to  an  inexpensive  and  novel  entertain- 
ment. Fulton  was  indeed  a  clever  man  to  have 
adapted  Barker's  London  success  to  the  people  of 
the  French  capital.  Here  is  one  verse  of  the  song, 
with  its  translation : 

"Paris  pas  plus  grand  que  cela 
Jouit  de  succes  legitime 
Un  savant  vous  le  montrera 
Pour  un  franc  cinquante  centimes 
Et  tout  le  monde  donne  ou  donnera 
Dans  le  pano,  pano,  panorama." 

(Paris  more  than  any  place 
Rejoices  in  a  lawful  success. 
A  clever  man  will  show  it  to  you 
For  one  franc  fifty  centimes. 
And  everybody  goes  or  is  going 
To  the  pano,  pano,  panorama.) 

This  business  venture  proved  very  successful 
but  Fulton  was  so  busy  with  greater  affairs  that  he 


72  ROBERT  FULTON 

could  not  long  give  his  personal  attention  to  its 
supervision.  In  December  of  that  year  he  sold 
the  patent  rights  to  an  American  who  carried  on 
the  business  for  several  years.  Other  scenes 
replaced  the  original  *' Moscow/'  possibly  Fulton 
painted  them ;  at  any  rate,  he  kept  an  interest  in 
the  business,  and  in  1801  took  out  a  second  patent 
for  improvements  in  panoramas. 

But  Fulton  longed  to  give  to  himianity  some- 
thing better  than  mere  amusement,  —  he  wanted 
to  help  them  with  their  work,  to  make  traveHng 
easier,  and,  if  possible,  to  banish  warfare.  His 
experiences  with  his  submarine  torpedo-boat  will 
be  told  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Building  the  First  Submarine 

And  now  Fulton  began  to  build  his  submarine 
torpedo-boat  and  named  it  Nautilus ^  meaning  a  sea- 
shell.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  the  French  Directory 
and  offered  to  submit  his  plan  and  explain  his 
engine  to  Napoleon,  whom  he  had  heard  was  "a 
good  engineer/' 

The  emperor  was  at  the  height  of  his  power. 
With  France  and  England  at  war,  disturbed  con- 
ditions prevailed  throughout  Europe  and  the 
unrest  hindered  all  progress.  Fulton  offered  to 
the  French  nation,  through  its  governing  body, 
his  original  weapon  to  secure  their  supremacy 
upon  the  seas  throughout  the  v/orld. 

His  letters  on  the  subject,  which  must  have 
seemed  like  fairy-tales,  fortunately  are  preserved 
in  the  archives  of  France.  In  one  he  asked  to  be 
authorized  to  build  the  engine  he  had  invented  and 
to  try  it  against  the  EngHsh  fleet.  He  himself 
promised  to  make  the  trial  and  asked  no  other 
compensation  for  labor  extending  over  eighteen 

73 


74  ROBERT  FULTON 

months  than  "the  happiness  of  having  contributed 
to  the  re-establishment  of  peace,  the  freedom  of 
the  seas  and  of  commerce,  and  the  consolidation 
of  the  Republic." 

The  Directory  appointed  a  committee  to  consider 
Fulton's  novel  plan ;  they  made  a  fairly  favorable 
report,  for,  they  said,  -'the  inventor  is  no  charla- 
tan, for  he  proposes  to  captain  his  engine  himself 
and  thus  gives  his  head  as  a  hostage  for  his  success." 

But  after  several  years  of  experiment  and  trial, 
Fulton  was  still  far  from  finding  acceptance  of  his 
plan.  In  1797,  when  he  began  to  devise  it,  he  was 
possibly  inspired  by  the  work  of  an  American, 
David  Bushnell,  of  Connecticut,  who  had  built  a 
turtle-shaped  boat  to  dive  under  water  and  attach 
an  explosive  to  an  enemy's  boat.  The  device  met 
with  scant  success  in  America,  so  Bushnell  crossed 
to  France,  where  he  also  failed  to  arouse  interest. 

Fulton's  invention  was  far  more  powerful  and 
agile,  if  we  may  use  the  word.  It  could  sail  like 
a  common  boat  on  the  water,  then  dive  below  and 
remain  under  the  water  at  any  depth  for  more 
than  six  hours  at  a  time ;  guided  by  a  compass,  it 
could  move  about  with  ease,  and  plant  torpedoes 
where  desired.  Small  wonder  that  the  Frenchmen 
were  slow  to  believe  all  the  astonishing  statements 
made  in  its  favor  by  the  enthusiastic  inventor. 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  SUBMARINE         75 

But  Fulton  stood  ready  to  prove  them.  During 
the  years  1799  and  1800  he  was  busy  demonstrat- 
ing the  accomplishments  of  his  novel  craft.  He 
launched  it  in  July,  iSco,  and  proceeded  to  make  a 
series  of  experiments  in  the  middle  of  the  Seine 
where  he  could  plunge  twenty-five  feet.  He  took  two 
persons  down  with  him  and  his  tests  were  encourag- 
ing although  the  swift  currents  of  the  tide  made 
him  decide  to  remove  the  boat  to  Havre  on  the 
coast,  where  he  could  attempt  feats  in  the  open  sea. 

His  queer-looking  boat,  six  feet  wide  and  twenty 
feet  long,  was  towed  on  two  barges  to  Havre,  where 
four  days  later  it  arrived  and  Fulton  proceeded  to 
put  her  through  all  sorts  of  ^^ paces."  The  vessel 
responded  to  his  every  wish  and  he  imagined  that 
universal  peace  would  result  from  the  use  of  the  new 
subduing  agent,  the  torpedo. 

Great  ideas  move  slowly,  —  their  very  immensity 
hinders  quick  progress.  Fulton  was  under  heavy 
expense  in  the  building  and  testing  of  his  strange 
boat.  Barlow,  who  remained  in  Paris,  wrote 
frequent  letters  of  encouragement  and  forwarded 
drafts  of  money,  profits  which  were  Fulton's 
share  in  the  earnings  of  the  panorama.  Repeated 
entreaties  to  the  Directory  finally  gained  attention, 
and  Napoleon  showed  enough  interest  to  appoint  a 
committee  to   examine  the  queer-looking  vessel. 


76  ROBERT  FULTON 

To  this  committee  Fulton  eagerly  explained  his 
invention.  He  tells  the  story  in  simple  language 
and  it  is  so  thrilling  that  a  copy  will  prove  inter- 
esting.    He  writes : 

Not  having  had  time  to  busy  myself  with  the  drawings 
and  description  of  the  latest  changes  I  have  thought  fit  to 
m.ake  in  my  Nautilus,  I  take  the  liberty  to  recommend  the 
model  of  it  to  your  examination  as  the  best  means  of  en- 
abling you  to  judge  of  its  form  and  combinations. 

Although  having  exact  details  of  experiments,  I  shall 
limit  myself  to  rendering  here  a  succinct  account  of  the 
most  important  of  them : 

First  Experiment :  —  The  Nautilus  is  20  feet  long  and  S 
in  diameter  and  according  to  the  calculations  of  Citizen 
Guyton  it  will  contain  a  quantity  of  air  sufficient  for  3  men 
and  a  candle  for  three  hours. 

Second  Experiment:  —  On  24th  of  August,  1800, 1  plunged 
in  the  basin  at  Havre  to  the  depth  of  15  feet  having  with  me 
two  people  and  a  lighted  candle;  we  remained  below  the 
surface  for  the  space  of  one  hour  without  experiencing  the 
slightest  inconvenience. 

Third  Experiment: — On  August  25th  I  tried  to  manoeuvre 
the  Nautilus  by  means  of  wings  4  feet  diameter  Kke  the  sails 
of  a  wind-mill ;  to  this  end  at  first  I  placed  on  the  bridge 
two  men  with  oars;  they  took  7  minutes  to  row  about 
192  yards,  the  length  of  the  basin;  then  I  ordered  the  same 
2  men  to  set  the  sails  and  in  4  minutes  the  Nautilus  covered 
the  distance  to  the  starting  place ;  —  I  proved  by  this  that 
the  speed  of  sails  to  that  of  oars  is  about  2  to  i  and  that 
these  sails  are  very  suitable  to  manoeuvre  a  boat  under 
water.    The   success   of   this   experiment   has   given   me 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  SUBMARINE         77 

several  new  ideas  which  I  hope  will  facilitate  much  the 
use  of  carcasses  [iron  cases]  of  powder  or  torpedoes. 

Fourth  Experiment: — On  the  26th  of  August  I  tried  bal- 
ancing the  Nautilus  under  water  in  such  a  way  as  to  prevent 
it  rising  towards  the  surface  or  descending  to  the  bottom, 
meanwhile  advancing.  This  is  executed  by  means  of  a 
pair  of  wings  placed  horizontally  on  the  front  of  the  Nautilus 
and  which  communicates  with  the  interior.  By  turning 
these  wings  from  left  to  right  the  Nautilus  is  made  to 
descend  below  the  water,  in  turning  them  from  right  to  left, 
it  is  raised  to  the  surface.  My  first  trial  was  unfortunate, 
in  not  having  placed  the  boat  in  the  necessary  trim  in  order 
that  the  wings  could  act.  The  next  day  I  had  a  decided 
success  and  I  kept  my  Nautilus  below  water  at  a  depth  of 
about  5  feet  whilst  it  covered  a  distance  of  192  yards,  about 
from  one  end  of  the  basin  to  the  other.  This  day  I  made 
several  movements  under  water  and  I  observed  that  the 
Compass  acts  as  well  under  water  as  at  the  surface.  The 
three  people  who  have  been  my  companions  during  these 
experiments  are  so  familiarized  with  the  Nautilus  and  have 
so  much  confidence  at  present  in  the  movements  of  this 
machine  that  they  undertake  without  the  least  concern 
these  aquatic  excursions. 

Having  thus  assured  myself  of  the  ease  of  immersion  and 
submersion  of  the  Nautilus  and  all  its  movements  as  well 
as  the  effect  on  the  compass,  on  the  27th  of  August  I  half 
filled  an  ordinary  barrel  and  placed  it  at  anchor  in  the  har- 
bour at  about  426  yards  from  the  jetty ;  —  I  seated  myself 
then  in  an  ordinary  boat  at  the  distance  of  about  160  yards 
and  placed  in  the  sea  a  torpedo  containing  about  30  lb. 
of  powder ;  the  torpedo  was  attached  to  a  small  rope  200 
yaxds  long ;  the  current  going  under  the  barrel,  the  torpedo 


78  ROBERT  FULTON 

passed  without  touching  it;  but  turning  the  helm  of  the 
boat  in  which  I  sat,  I  made  it  go  obliquely  till  I  saw  the 
torpedo  exactly  under  the  barrel;  I  then  drew  back  the 
cable  till  at  last  the  torpedo  touched  the  barrel;  at  that 
instant  the  battery  went  off,  the  powder  exploded  and  the 
barrel  was  reduced  to  fragments  being  lost  in  a  column  of 
water  lo  feet  in  diameter  that  the  explosion  threw  into  the 
air  to  the  height  of  60  or  80  feet. 

On  the  12th  of  September  I  left  Havre  for  La  Hogue  and 
in  this  little  voyage  my  Nautilus  sometimes  did  a  league  and 
a  half  (43^^  miles)  per  hour  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
it  ride  the  waves  like  an  ordinary  boat. 

On  the  15th  of  September  I  put  into  a  little  harbour 
called  Growan  near  Isigny  at  3  leagues  from  the  islands  of 
Marcou.  The  next  day  the  equinoctial  gales  commenced 
and  lasted  25  days.  During  the  time  I  tried  twice  to  ap- 
proach two  English  brigs  which  were  anchored  near  one  of 
the  islands,  but  both  times,  whether  by  accident  or  design, 
they  set  sail  and  were  quickly  at  a  distance.  During  one 
of  these  trials  I  remained  during  the  whole  of  one  tide  of 
6  hours  absolutely  under  water,  having  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  air  only  a  little  tube  which  could  not  be  perceived  at 
a  distance  of  400  yards. 

The  weather  being  bad  I  remained  35  days  at  Growan 
and  seeing  that  no  English  vessel  returned,  and  that  winter 
approached,  besides  my  Nautilus  not  being  constructed  to 
resist  bad  weather,  I  resolved  to  return  to  Paris  and  place 
under  the  eyes  of  Government  the  result  of  my  experiments. 

In  the  course  of  these  experiments  there  has  come  to  me 
a  crowd  of  ideas  infinitely  more  simple  than  the  means  that 
I  have  employed  hitherto  and  in  an  enterprise  so  new  and 
without  precedent  one  ought  to  expect  that  new  ideas  should 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  SUBMARINE         79 

present  themselves,  tending  to  simplify  the  execution  of  the 
great  object  in  view. 

As  to  myself,  I  look  upon  the  most  difficult  part  of  the 
work  as  done.  Navigation  under  water  is  an  operation  whose 
possibility  is  proved,  and  it  can  be  said  that  a  new  series  of 
ideas  have  just  been  born  as  to  the  means  for  preventing 
naval  wars  or  rather  of  hindering  them  in  the  future;  it 
is  a  germ  which  only  demands  for  its  developement  the  en- 
couragement and  support  of  all  friends  of  science,  of  justice 
and  of  society. 

Health  and  respect, 

(Nov.  7th  iSoi.)  Robert  Fulton. 

It  is  almost  beyond  belief  that  Fulton  had  been 
able,  in  so  short  a  time,  to  bring  to  such  perfection 
an  invention  of  such  great  importance,  yet  fraught 
with  so  much  danger.  The  recital  of  his  voyage 
on  the  high  seas,  at  war-time,  together  with  his 
plunging  experiments,  proves  that  he  possessed 
real  heroism.  The  navy  of  England  had  received 
private  news  of  the  invention  and  the  sailors  were 
on  their  guard,  so  it  is  easy  to  realize  why  the 
brigs  "set  sail  and  were  quickly  at  a  distance." 
Fulton  had  become  well  known  in  both  warring 
countries  and  was  accounted  a  power  to  be  reckoned 
with. 

Fulton  offered  personally  to  command  the 
Nautilus  and  to  teach  the  French  navy  the  art  of 
the  new  warfare,  as  well  as  to  build  such  submarine 


8o  ROBERT  FULTON 

boats  as  Napoleon  would  authorize.  He  asked 
that  he  might  employ  as  co-workers  the  three  men 
he  had  already  taught;  and  they,  by  the  way, 
must  have  been  courageous  indeed  to  engage  in  so 
novel  and  dangerous  an  enterprise. 

But  the  contract  "backed  and  filled"  in  tan- 
talizing delay  to  the  ardent  inventor.  Fulton  had 
a  personal  interview  with  Napoleon  and  tried  to 
persuade  him  to  adopt  the  new  plan;  but  no  im- 
mediate response  resulted ;  finally,  after  hope  long 
deferred  and  repeated  letters  and  visits  to  the 
embassy,  Fulton  received  a  letter  from  the  Minister 
of  the  Marine,  bearing  the  good  news  that  Napoleon 
had  accepted  Fulton's  proposition;  that  10,000 
francs  had  been  placed  to  his  credit  to  repair  the 
Nautilus,  build  auxiliaries,  and  convey  his  unusual 
fleet,  at  his  own  expense,  to  Brest,  where  he  could 
engage  in  warfare  against  the  enemy. 

From  that  time,  March  28th,  1801,  to  May, 
Fulton  was  busy  with  the  novel  enterprise.  The 
Nautilus  was  overhauled  and  conveyed  to  Brest, 
mounted  on  a  long  cart  drawn  by  horses.  How 
the  boys  and  girls  of  the  villages  through  which 
the  queer  boat  passed  must  have  gazed  and  won- 
dered! Finally  it  reached  the  dockyard  at  Brest, 
and  after  two  months  of  fitting  Fulton  was  ready 
to  attempt  an  attack  on  the  enemy.    But  again 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  SUBMARINE        8i 

the  English  seamen  were  too  wary  to  be  surprised. 
Fulton  spent  an  anxious  summer  but  could  find 
no  vessel  within  reach  of  possible  attack. 

However,  he  conducted  a  series  of  successful 
experiments,  and,  in  the  presence  of  several  in- 
fluential officials,  he  blew  up  a  large  sloop,  destroy- 
ing it  so  completely  that  nothing  was  left  but  the 
buoy  and  cable.  He  was  able  to  report  that  he 
had  proved  his  boat  could 

Sail  like  a  common  boat, 
Obtain  air  and  light, 
Plimge  and  Rise  perpendicular, 
Turn  to  the  right  and  left  at  pleasure, 
Steer  by  the  compass  under  water, 
Renew  the  common  volume  of  air  with  ease 
And  add  the  respirable  air,  by  a  reservoir,  which  may  be 
obtained  at  all  times. 

Although  the  invention  proved  successful,  it  was 
exercised  for  only  eight  months.  On  the  first  of 
October  the  Minister  of  the  Marine  resigned  his 
office,  and  his  successor,  a  French  admiral  of  the 
old-school,  declined  to  listen  to  or  forward  any 
new-fangled  ideas,  flow  disappointed  Fulton  must 
have  been  after  his  three  years  of  hard  work  and  his 
unquenchable  faith  in  the  power  of  his  project. 
The  Treaty  of  Peace,  signed  at  Amiens  in  1802, 
brought  a  welcome  end  to  warfare,  and  Fulton 


82  ROBERT  FULTON 

realized  that  ihe  nations  had  no  present  need  for 
his  weapon  of  naval  destruction. 

But  Fulton  did  not  forget  France  and  the  interest 
Napoleon  had  shown,  even  after  his  return  to  his 
own  country.  In  1811,  the  Boston  Weekly  Messen- 
ger, of  Friday,  November  15th,  contained  the 
following  amusing  letter  in  rhyme,  addressed  to 
Napoleon's  infant  son,  the  King  of  Rome.  Perhaps 
it  was  a  diplomatic  move  to  interest  Bonaparte 
through  a  recognition  of  his  tiny  heir ;  perhaps  it 
was  merely  written  in  jest  and  never  crossed  the 
seas.    But  here  it  is,  in  part,  for  our  amusement. 

Great  King,  two  years  ago  I  wrote 
To  Lord  Marbois  a  civil  note, 
Which  he  ne'er  answered,  like  a  bear, 
So  now  I  send  my  modest  prayer 
To  your  dread  throne,  or  stool,  or  chair. 

The  plan,  my  lord,  which  I  have  hit  on 
Will  quite  destroy  the  pride  of  Britain ; 
The  great  torpedoes  I  prepare 
Will  blow  her  ships  up  in  the  air, 
And  every  man-of-war  will  soon 
Ascend  just  like  a  vast  balloon. 
In  half  a  day  one  thousand  men 
Would  scatter  all  the  ships  you  ken, 
Would  clear  the  Channel  and  do  over 
All  between  Calais  port  and  Dover ; 
Thus  in  two  years,  Sir,  might  be  seen 
The  end  of  England's  proud  marine ; 


BXnLDING  THE  FIRST  SUBMARINE         83 

And  then  that  Isle,  without  a  doubt, 

Puffed  Hke  a  farthing  rush-Hght  out, 

Instead  of  reigning  o'er  the  waves 

Would  only  furnish  France  with  slaves. 

How  glorious  then  were  such  a  thing 

To  grace  your  annals,  mighty  king ! 

And  (turn  it  over  in  your  mind) 

How  happy  'twere  for  all  mankind, 

And  more,  (but  that's  a  thing  between  us) 

How  worthy  of  your  daddy's  genius ; 

This  business  will  be  done  —  this  blow  up 

Take  place,  great  Monarch,  ere  you  grow  up. 

Reflect,  Sir,  powder  was  invented : 

And  then,  Sir,  you  must  feel  contented. 

Now,  Sir,  soon  as  the  haughty  foe 

Shall  feel  a  meditated  blow, 

Their  ships,  perhaps,  they  will  abandon, 

That  you  with  ease  their  coasts  may  land  on ; 

Or,  England,  if  I  don't  befriend  her. 

May  quickly  all  her  fleets  surrender. 

Now  rendered  master  of  the  seas. 
You  may  let  ports  out  as  you  please ; 
These  can  be  rented,  understand, 
Just  as  some  kingdoms  are  on  land ; 
England,  then  prostrate  at  your  feet, 
For  peace,  on  any  terms,  may  treat ; 
Be  this  your  language  firm  and  bold, 
"While  yet  the  brand  of  war  I  hold. 
As  you  are  most  completely  beaten. 
This  basis  only  will  I  treat  on  — 
That  you,  without  the  least  delay, 
Two  millions  to  Bob  Fulton  pay. 


» 


CHAPTER  IX 

Building  the  First  Steamboat 

For  the  time  England  and  France  were  at  peace. 
No  need  now  for  weapons  of  warfare,  so  Fulton  set 
aside  his  plan  for  submarine  torpedo-boats  and 
began  to  devote  his  attention  to  an  idea  of  greater 
importance,  —  the  invention  of  a  steamboat. 

The  thought  was  not  new  to  him  for  he  had 
pondered  over  it  since  1793  when  he  had  submitted 
a  description  of  an  original  model  to  Lord  Stanhope. 
Now  he  bent  all  his  energies  to  the  task  and  com- 
menced a  series  of  new  experiments. 

He  made  many  sketches  of  engines,  paddles  and 
boats.  Some  are  yet  in  existence,  notably  one 
made  June  5th,  1802.  It  bears  a  pen-drawing  of  a 
steamboat,  with  side  paddle-wheels,  a  forward 
smokestack,  a  covered  cabin  amidships,  with  upper 
deck  occupied  by  imaginary  passengers,  a  pointed 
bow  and  a  square  stern,  —  not  in  reality  the  shape 
of  the  later  product  of  his  skill,  but  a  fanciful 
sketch  of  the  form  then  in  mind.  How  far  ahead 
his  imagination  darted,  in  time  and  space^  may  be 

84 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  STEAMBOAT        85 

seen  from  the  inscription,  "The  Steamboat  from 
New  York  to  Albany  in  12  hours."  It  was  a  brave 
prediction ! 

In  1804,  when  General  Armstrong  was  appointed 
Minister  to  France,  he  lived  in  the  house  formerly 
occupied  by  Joel  Barlow;  and  upon  the  walls  of 
Fulton's  room  he  found  plans  of  steamboats 
sketched,  as  a  panorama.  Even  then  the  thought 
had  so  taken  possession  of  Fulton's  mind  that 
he  lived  with  it  day  and  night. 

By  this  time  Fulton  was  recognized  by  thought- 
ful men  as  a  power  to  be  considered.  At  Barlow's 
hospitable  home  Fulton  enjoyed  the  opportunity 
of  making  friends  among  prominent  men;  and 
during  1801  there  arrived  in  Paris,  as  Minister 
Plenipotentiary  of  the  United  States,,  Chancellor 
Robert  R.  Livingston,  a  noted  American  statesman 
and  lawyer.  The  meeting  between  Fulton  and 
Livingston,  at  Barlow's  table,  proved  important. 
Mr.  Livingston's  keen  intellect  had  already  recog- 
nized the  importance  of  providing  boats  with  steam 
power.  Indeed,  he  himself  had  experimented  in 
the  matter,  and  had  caused  an  Act  to  be  passed  by 
the  Legislature  in  1798  granting  to  himself  "the 
exclusive  right  and  privilege  of  navigating  all  kinds 
of  boats  which  might  be  propelled  by  the  force  of 
steam  or  fire,  on  all  waters  of  the  state  of  New 


86  ROBERT  FULTON 

York,  for  the  term  of  twenty  years  from  the  passage 
of  the  Act;  upon  consideration  that  he  should 
within  a  twelve-month  build  such  a  boat,  the  mean 
of  whose  progress  should  not  be  less  than  four 
miles  an  hour/* 

The  Act  was  passed  but  Livingston's  steamboat 
was  not  a  success.  The  trial  boat,  of  thirty  tons' 
burden,  built  by  the  Chancellor's  orders  by  an 
Englishman  named  Nesbit,  near  Tivoli  on  the 
Hudson,  failed  to  run!  When  the  Chancellor 
met  Robert  Fulton,  this  clean-cut,  energetic  young 
countryman  who  had  built  a  much-talked-of 
submarine  torpedo-boat  recognized  by  Napoleon, 
he  thought,  ^*Here  is  the  clever  man  whom  I  am 
seeking!"  It  is  characteristic  of  great  men  to 
notice  the  mental  worth  of  others  and  enlist  it  in 
their  cause,  whatever  it  may  be.  And  Livingston 
quickly  learned  the  rare  capacity  of  Fulton. 
""  There  could  have  been  no  stronger  combination 
than  the  partnership  of  these  two  men,  formally 
enacted  at  Paris,  in  October,  1802.  The  original 
agreement  is  signed  "Robert  R.  Livingston  of  the 
state  of  New  York,  and  Robert  Fulton  of  the  state 
of  Pennsylvania." 

Fulton's  part  of  the  contract  was : 

ist :  To  build  a  boat  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
long,  eight  feet  wide,  to  draw  fifteen  inches  of 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  STEAMBOAT        87 

water,  to  navigate  the  Hudson  River  between  New 
York  and  Albany,  at  a  speed  of  eight  miles  an  hour 
and  to  carry  sixty  passengers,  allowing  two  hundred 
pounds'  weight  per  passenger. 

2d :  To  secure  a  patent,  in  the  name  of  Robert 
Fulton ;  to  deposit  every  necessary  drawing,  model 
and  specification,  and  the  patent  property  when 
granted  was  to  be  divided  in  value  into  one  hundred 
shares,  half  of  which  should  be  owned  by  each 
partner,  and  all  profits  equally  shared. 

3d :  To  go  to  England  to  construct  an  experi- 
mental boat,  —  if  possible  borrowing  an  engine,  — 
the  cost  of  such  boat,  &ve  hundred  pounds  English 
currency,  to  be  provided  by  Livingston.  If  the 
boat  failed  of  success,  Fulton  was  to  repay  half 
the  simi  with  seven  per  cent  interest  added ;  if  it 
succeeded,  Fulton  was  to  go  to  America,  obtain  a 
patent,  and  build  a  boat;  his  ** reasonable  ex- 
penses "  to  be  part  of  the  general  expense. 

The  contract  continued  as  follows : 

4th :  When  the  work  is  finished,  either  partner 
may  dispose  of,  or  sell,  any  number  of  shares  less 
than  forty,  but  the  purchasers,  or  shareholders, 
are  to  have  no  vote  in  the  management  of  the 
business.  All  extensions  to  be  paid  from  revenue 
received,  and  the  profits  equally  divided  twice  a 
year. 


S&  ROBERT  FULTON 

5th:  The  partnership  is  to  continue  while  the 
patent  lasts,  that  is,  fourteen  years,  or  as  long  a 
term  as  it  extends;  at  its  close,  all  boats,  ware- 
houses and  other  property  to  belong  to  the  share- 
holders. 

6th:  If  Fulton  or  Livingston  die  before  the 
termination  of  the  patent,  each  heir  or  assign,  hold- 
ing twenty  shares,  shall  become  an  active  partner 
with  power  to  act. 

7th :  Livingston  reserves  the  right  to  withdraw 
from  the  partnership  any  time  after  his  five  hundred 
pounds  have  been  spent  in  the  first  experiment,  but 
is  to  be  considered  a  partner  until  he  sends  notice 
in  writing  to  Fulton. 

It  is  evident  that  the  document  was  drawn  by 
Livingston,  who  certainly  made  a  good  bargain. 
The  sole  responsibility  he  took  upon  himself  was 
the  investment  of  five  hundred  pounds  —  twenty- 
five  hundred  dollars  —  with  a  return  of  one-half 
the  amount,  plus  seven  per  cent  interest,  if  Fulton 
failed  to  provide  the  invention.  On  the  other 
hand,  he  was  entitled  to  receive  dividends  as  long 
as  the  patent  rights  could  be  extended,  if  the  in- 
vention proved,  as  it  did,  financially  productive. 

For  practical  reasons,  Fulton  decided  to  build  his 
trial  boat  in  Paris,  instead  of  going  over  to  England. 
This  decision  was  probably  made  when  he  found 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  STEAMBOAT        89 

that  he  could  borrow,  or  rent,  an  engine.  Fulton 
had  to  consider  expense,  for  he  had  spent  the  money 
he  received  from  the  Panorama  upon  his  torpedo- 
boats;  and  his  active  mind  conceived  such  vast 
schemes  that  they  seemed  too  costly  to  all  his 
friends,  except  Barlow ;  at  times,  even  he  advised 
against  too  great  ventures.  On  July  26th  he 
prudently  wrote  as  follows : 

"My  project  would  be  that  you  pass  directly  over  to 
England  silent  and  steady,  make  Chapman  construct  an 
engine  of  12  inches,  while  you  are  building  a  boat  of  pro- 
portionate size.  Make  the  experiments  on  that  scale  all 
quiet  and  quick.  If  it  answers,  put  the  machinery  on  board 
a  vessel  and  go  directly  to  New  York,  (ordering  another 
engine  as  large  as  you  please  to  follow  you)  then  secure  your 
patent  and  begin  your  operation,  first  small  and  then  large. 
I  think  I  will  find  you  the  funds  without  any  noise  for  the 
first  operation  in  England  and  if  it  promises  well  you  will 
get  as  many  funds  and  friends  in  America  as  you  want. 
I  should  suggest  a  small  operation  first,  for  several  reasons ; 
it  can  be  made  without  noise ;  you  can  easier  find  f vmds  for 
a  small  experiment,"  etc. 

After  the  contract  was  signed  there  was  no 
hesitation  on  the  part  of  Fulton;  he  plunged  at 
once  into  the  task  he  had  anticipated  for  many 
years.  As  early  as  1 793  he  had  written  to  his  friend 
Lord  Stanhope,  giving  his  first  thoughts  on  the 
subject,  —  one  part  of  his  long  letter  will  be  enough 


90  ROBERT  FULTON 

to  quote  here;  it  is  of  special  interest  because  it 
shows  that  Fulton  looked  to  nature  to  suggest  a 
practical  plan : 

"In  June,  '93  I  begun  the  experiments  on  the  steam- 
ship ;  my  first  design  was  to  imitate  the  spring  in  the  tail  of 
a  Salmon  —  for  this  purpose  I  supposed  a  large  bow  to  be 
wound  up  by  the  steam  engine  and  the  collected  force, 
attached  to  the  end  of  a  paddle  —  to  be  let  off  which  would 
urge  the  vessel  forward." 

This  accords  with  an  old  newspaper  clipping 
which  states  that  "the  first  rough  model  of  a 
steamboat  made  by  Fulton  in  New  York  was  cut 
out  of  a  shingle,  shaped  like  a  mackerel,  with  the 
paddles  placed  further  in  front  than  behind,  like 
the  fijis  of  a  fish." 

Of  course  these  "natural  propellers"  gave  ideas 
to  the  inventor ;  he  noticed  that  a  fish  with  round, 
unbroken  tail  is  a  slow  swimmer,  while  those  which 
have  deeply  indented  tails,  like  the  mackerel, 
can  make  far  greater  speed  in  swimming. 

Fulton  experimented  for  nine  years  before  find- 
ing the  best  method ;  he  did  not  stumble  upon  the 
plan,  but  patiently  worked  it  out,  learning  through 
each  successive  test  —  all  noted  and  recorded,  — 
the  correct  ratio  to  establish  between  the  size  of 
the  boat  and  the  power  of  the  machinery. 

During  the  early  spring  the  boat  was  finished 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  STEAMBOAT        91 

and  looked  so  promising  that  Livingston  wrote  to 
friends  in  Apierica  to  enact  an  extension  to  himself 
and  Fulton,  jointly,  for  the  exclusive  right  to 
operate  steamboats  on  the  waters  of  New  York 
State  for  twenty  years,  provided  the  boat  could  be 
produced  within  two  years.  Later  this  time  was 
extended. 

Success  seemed  certain  to  both  Fulton  and 
Livingston.  The  strange  boat  was  launched  upon 
the  river  Seine;  the  borrowed  engine  of  eight- 
horse  power  was  installed;  the  copper  boiler  was 
in  place,  —  and  the  partners,  disregarding  the 
jeering  remarks  of  ignorant  bystanders,  were 
hopeful  and  happy  in  anticipation  of  the  trial  trip 
which  was  set  for  an  early  date. 

Naturally,  the  new  invention  was  talked  over  by 
the  wise  men  of  the  city  who  wandered  to  the  dock- 
yard to  view  the  queer-looking  boat.  It  is  said 
that  Prince  Tallyrand,  during  a  dinner  at  Mr. 
Barlow^s  home,  sat  beside  Robert  Fulton  and  was 
charmed  by  his  pleasant  manner.  Fulton's  topic 
of  conversation  —  we  can  imagine  his  pleasure  in 
the  subject  —  was  his  invention  of  the  steamboat 
upon  which  he  was  then  at  work ;  and  his  hope  that 
the  submarine  torpedo-boat  would  end  all  naval 
warfare  and  bring  universal  peace.  The  Prince 
listened  politely  but  later  confessed  his  sadness  in 


92  ROBERT  FULTON 

realizing  that  the  agreeable  young  American  wa3 
mad  or  he  would  not  devote  his  time  to  such  im- 
possible schemes!  To  many  Fulton's  dream 
seemed  utterly  vain. 

This  idea  gained  strength  by  the  disaster  which 
befell  the  steamboat  just  before  the  time  set  for 
her  trial  trip.  She  was  completed;  and  Fulton, 
too  excited  to  sleep  although  wearied  by  long 
labor,  restlessly  awaited  the  day  to  dawn  when  he 
could  prove  her  success.  During  the  night  a  great 
storm  broke  over  Paris ;  the  rain  fell  in  torrents 
accompanied  by  heavy  winds.  At  daybreak  Ful- 
ton was  aroused  by  a  breathless  messenger  whose 
anxious  face  and  haste  betokened  bad  news.  He 
was  the  watchman  in  charge  of  the  precious  inven- 
tion.  He  rushed  into  Fulton's  bedroom,  with  the 
exclamation: 

"Oh,  sir,  the  boat  has  broken  in  pieces  and  gone 
to  the  bottom  of  the  river ! " 

Fulton  arose  in  dismay,  hastily  dressed,  and 
rushed  to  the  scene.  The  news  was  all  too  true! 
The  boat,  too  weak  in  structure  to  bear  the  heavy 
machinery,  buffeted  by  the  high  waves  and  heavy 
winds,  had  broken  in  the  middle,  depositing  the 
valuable  engine  and  other  machinery  in  the  river. 
Nothing  was  in  sight  above  the  water ! 

Fulton  later  confessed  to  a  dismay  never  felt  at 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  STEAMBOAT        93 

any  other  time.  Many  a  man,  at  this  point, 
would  have  given  up  the  whole  project  in  despair. 
But  this  crisis  of  apparent  failure  was  the  moment 
for  Fulton's  strength  of  character  to  assert  itself. 
After  months  of  labor  the  borrowed  engine  and 
Mr.  Livingston's  money  seemed  forever  lost. 
But  Fulton  set  himself  to  the  task  of  making  the 
best  of  this  disappointment.  He  wasted  not  a 
moment  in  vain  regret,  but  without  going  back  to 
his  home  for  breakfast,  he  began,  with  his  own 
hands,  to  try  and  rescue  the  boat.  For  twenty- 
four  hours  he  worked,  without  food  or  rest,  until  — 
wet  and  weary  but  triumphant  —  he  recovered 
the  machinery  and  engine.  They  were  found  to 
be  little  hurt,  although  the  boat  itself  was  a  total 
wreck.  But,  alas,  Fulton  paid  a  heavy  penalty 
for  over-taxing  his  strength;  for  a  permanent 
weakness  of  the  lungs,  from  which  he  never  fully 
recovered,  resulted  from  the  exposure  and  long 
struggle  in  the  water  to  save  his  precious  invention. 
At  no  moment  in  his  life  did  he  display  such  fine 
courage  as  at  this  time  of  apparent  failure. 

Fulton  immediately  began  to  build  another 
boat,  in  which  he  placed  the  recovered  machinery. 
By  the  month  of  July  he  was  again  ready  to  show 
his  friends  and  the  French  scientists  the  working- 
power  of  his  invention. 


94  ROBERT  FULTON 

Mr.  Fulner  Skipwith  was  then  our  Consul- 
General  in  Paris.  He  was  interested  in  the  idea 
of  steam  navigation,  and  during  the  preceding 
year  had  sent  a  letter  of  inquiry  regarding  it  to 
Robert  Fulton,  who  gladly  answered  his  questions. 
Mr.  Skipwith  had  married  in  Paris,  while  Fulton 
was  busy  with  his  torpedo  experiments  on  the 
French  coast,  and  the  Consul- GeneraFs  first  child 
was  born  during  the  spring  of  1803.  This  ac- 
counts for  the  merry  letter  of  invitation  which 
Fulton  sent  him  on  July  24th. 

Mr.  Skipwith; 
My  dear  Friend, 

You  have  experienced  all  the  anxiety  of  a  fond  father  on 
a  child's  coming  into  the  world.  So  have  I.  Your  little 
cherub,  now  plump  as  a  partridge,  advances  to  the  per- 
fection of  her  nature  and  each  day  presents  some  new  charm. 
I  wish  mine  may  do  the  same.  Some  weeks  hence,  when  you 
will  be  sitting  in  one  corner  of  the  room  and  Mrs.  Skipwith 
in  the  other  learning  the  little  creature  to  walk,  the  first 
unsteady  step  will  scarcely  balance  the  tottering  frame; 
but  you  will  have  the  pleasing  perspective  of  seeing  it  grow 
to  a  steady  walk  and  then  to  dancing.  I  wish  mine  may  do 
the  same.  My  "boy,"  who  is  all  bones  and  corners,  just 
like  his  daddy  and  whose  birth  has  given  me  much  un- 
easiness, or  rather,  anxiety,  —  is  just  learning  to  walk  and 
I  hope  in  time  he  will  be  an  active  runner.  I  therefore  have 
the  honour  to  invite  you  and  the  ladies  to  see  his  first  move- 
ments on  Monday  next  from  6  till  9  in  the  evening  between 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  STEAMBOAT        95 

the  Barriere  des  Bons  Hommes  and  the  steam-engine. 
May  our  children,  my  friend,  be  an  honour  to  their  country 
and  a  comfort  to  the  grey  hairs  of  their  doting  parents. 

Yours, 

R.  Fulton. 

You  see  Fulton  considered  his  boat  as  a  son,  as 
dear  and  as  promising ! 

This  second  time  the  boat  did  not  disappoint 
him.  In  the  presence  of  the  invited  guests,  it  moved 
successfully  forth  from  the  dock  and  steamed  its 
way  along  the  river,  receiving  the  applause  and 
admiration  of  the  group  of  friends  assembled  by 
Fulton  and  Livingston.  A  public  trial  followed 
about  two  weeks  later  and  a  newspaper  of  the  day 
described  it  so  fully  that  a  translation  is  here 
printed : 

On  the  9th  of  August,  1803,  a  trial  was  made  of  a  new 
invention  and  its  complete  and  brilliant  success  should 
have  important  consequences  upon  the  commerce  and 
internal  navigation  of  France.  During  the  past  two  or 
three  months  there  has  been  seen  at  the  end  of  the  quay 
Chaillot,  a  boat  of  curious  appearance,  equipped  with  two 
large  wheels,  mounted  on  an  axle  like  a  chariot,  while  behind 
these  wheels  was  a  kind  of  large  stove  with  a  pipe,  as  if 
there  were  some  kind  of  a  small  fire  engine  intended  to 
operate  the  wheels  of  the  boat.  Several  weeks  ago  some 
evil-minded  persons  threw  this  structure  down.  The  builder, 
having  repaired  this  damage,   received,  the  day  before 


96  ROBERT  FULTON 

yesterday,  a  most  flattering  reward  for  his  labour  and 
talent. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  aided  by  only  three  persons, 
he  put  his  boat  in  motion,  with  two  other  boats  in  tow  behind 
it,  and  for  an  hour  and  a  half  he  afforded  the  curious  spec- 
tacle of  a  boat  moved  by  wheels  like  a  chariot,  these  wheels 
being  provided  with  paddles  or  flat  plates,  and  being  moved 
by  a  fire  engine. 

In  following  it  along  the  quay,  the  speed  against  the 
current  of  the  Seine  appeared  to  us  about  that  of  a  rapid 
pedestrian,  while  in  going  down-stream  it  was  more  rapid ; 
it  was  manoeuvred  with  facility,  turning  to  the  right  and 
left,  came  to  anchor,  started  again,  and  passed  by  the 
swimming-school. 

One  of  the  boats  took  to  the  quay  a  number  of  savants 
.  .  .  who  will  make  a  report  which  will  give  to  this  dis- 
covery all  the  praise  which  it  deserves ;  for  this  mechanism 
applied  to  our  rivers,  the  Seine,  the  Loire,  and  the  Rhone, 
should  result  most  advantageously  to  our  internal  naviga- 
tion. The  tows  of  barges  which  now  require  four  months 
to  come  from  Nantes  to  Paris,  would  arrive  promptly  in 
lo  to  15  days.  The  author  of  this  brilliant  invention  is 
Monsieur  Fulton,  an  American  and  a  celebrated  mechanician. 

Napoleon's  watchful  eye  was  upon  Fulton  for  he 
wrote  on  July  21st  to  the  Councillor  of  State  in  the 
Department  of  the  Marine  as  follows : 

"I  have  just  read  the  project  of  Citizen  Fulton 
which  you  have  sent  me  much  too  late  in  that  it 
may  change  the  face  of  the  world.  However  that 
may  be,  I  desire  you  immediately  to  confide  its 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  STEAMBOAT         97 

examination  to  a  commission  of  members  chosen 
by  you  from  among  the  different  classes  of  the 
Institute.  It  is  here  that  learned  Europe  would 
seek  for  judges  to  solve  the  question  under  con- 
sideration. As  soon  as  the  report  is  made  it  will 
be  sent  to  you  and  you  will  forward  it  to  me.  Try 
and  let  the  whole  matter  be  determined  within  a 
week  as  I  am  impatient." 

We  may  be  sure  that  Fulton  welcomed  the  ques- 
tions of  these  learned  men,  and  sent  them  "an 
invitation  to  see  the  experiment  of  a  boat  ascending 
the  stream  by  means  of  a  steam  engine/'  as  their 
records  show.  He  had  previously  made  an  offer 
to  Napoleon  to  convey  his  troops  to  England  for 
an  attack,  saying : 

"The  sea  which  separates  you  from  your  enemy  gives 
him  an  immense  advantage  over  you.  Aided  in  turn  by  the 
winds  and  the  tempests  he  defies  you  from  his  inaccessible 
island.  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  cause  this  obstacle  which 
protects  him  to  disappear.  In  spite  of  all  his  fleets  and  in 
any  weather  I  can  transport  your  armies  to  his  territory  in  a 
few  hours,  without  fear  of  the  tempests  and  without  depend- 
ing upon  the  winds.    I  am  prepared  to  submit  my  plans.'* 

No  wonder  Napoleon  was  impatient  to  learn 
more  about  Fulton  and  wiUingly  admitted  that  his 
invention  might  "change  the  face  of  the  world." 
Bignon,  the  French  historian,  wrote  in  1829  that 


98  ROBERT  FULTON 

had  Napoleon  listened  to  Fulton  this  important 
letter  might  have  changed  the  history  of  Europe. 
He  supposes  that  had  there  existed  a  single  steam- 
boat in  France  at  that  time,  the  workshops  would 
have  immediately  been  busied  in  'multiplying 
the  original.'  In  a  few  years  one  or  two  hundred 
steamships,  towing  behind  them  transports  filled 
with  soldiers,  would  have  been  ready  with  their 
leader  for  the  boldest  of  enterprises.  Bignon 
declared  that  the  men  and  the  times  alike  were 
ready  for  the  novelty.  England  would  have  been 
forced  to  submit  to  the  terms  of  peace  laid  down 
by  France.  "Thus  may  the  fate  of  nations  depend 
upon  a  new  idea ;  thus  nature  conceals  within  her 
bosom  many  unknown  forces  of  which  a  single 
one  is  sufficient  to  change  the  destiny  of  the 
world." 

But  Napoleon  did  not  embrace  the  opportunity. 
His  secretary  said  that  when  he  presented  Fulton's 
memorial  to  him  he  exclaimed  disdainfully, 
*'Bah !    Away  with  your  visionists ! " 

And  Bignon,  who  took  the  trouble  later  to  talk 
with  the  members  of  Napoleon's  commission,  said 
that  they  excused  their  lack  of  appreciation  by  the 
statement  that  Fulton's  plan  was  accompanied  by  a 
number  of  "foolish  ideas"  which  obscured  their 
view  of  the  great  underlying  truth.    "Put  not  your 


NUT  HILL,  MA$S. 


BUILDING  THE  FIRST  STEAMBOAT        99 

trust  in  scientists/'  exclaims  Bignon,  in  the  light 
of  Fulton's  success. 

However,  Lord  Acton,  the  English  authority 
upon  this  period  of  the  world's  history,  when  asked 
what  event  he  considered  of  greatest  importance 
in  the  19th  century,  replied,  *^The  sinking  of  Ful- 
ton's boat  on  the  Seine,"  meaning  that  accident 
alone  turned  Napoleon  from  its  acceptance. 

The  words  of  several  historians  prove  that  the 
sunny  day  when  Fulton's  steamboat  voyaged  back 
and  forth  upon  the  waters  of  the  Seine,  riding  in 
triumph  over  the  hidden  wreck  of  its  ill-fated  pred- 
ecessor, was  really  a  great  moment  in  French 
history ! 

Fulton  was  master  of  its  movement  and  su- 
premely happy  in  his  accompHshment.  He  saw,  with 
unshaken  faith,  as  it  is  easy  for  us  to  see  to-day, 
in  a  review  of  the  history  of  the  past  century,  that 
his  twice-built  boat  on  the  river  Seine  was  the  fore- 
runner of  all  the  gigantic  fleets  of  steamboats 
which  now  ride  upon  the  waters  of  the  world. 


CHAPTER  X 

In  Holland  and  England 

I  have  said  that  Fulton  gave  up  his  art,  but  only 
as  a  profession,  for  during  the  years  he  spent  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barlow  he  painted  not  only  the 
panorama  but  several  fine  portraits.  He  made  two 
oil  portraits  of  Barlow,  one  as  a  gift  to  him,  the 
other  to  keep  for  himself ;  as  is  proved  by  the  fact 
that  one  is  now  owned,  through  inheritance,  by  a 
member  of  the  Barlow  family,  the  other  by  a 
descendant  of  Fulton.  He  mentions  in  a  letter 
having  painted  a  portrait  of  Mrs.  Barlow,  but  this 
cannot  now  be  found. 

Joel  Barlow  had  been  engaged  for  some  years  in 
writing  a  long  epic  poem,  ^'The  Columbiad";  a 
review  of  Columbus's  discovery  and  the  coloniza- 
tion of  America ;  the  establishment  of  the  republic ; 
the  habits  of  the  Indian  inhabitants ;  the  gradual 
growth  of  American  welfare  and  peace.  It  was  a 
long  recital,  in  lofty  sentences.  Columbus,  the 
discoverer,  was  the  hero,  pining  in  a  foreign  prison 
when  Hesper,  the  evening  star,  enters  his  cell. 

lOO 


IN  HOLLAND  AND  ENGLAND  loi 

In  thought  she  leads  the  captive  to  a  mount  of 
vision  and  unrolls  upon  a  screen  all  that  has  hap- 
pened and  all  that  shall  happen  in  the  land  Colum- 
bus discovered.  The  theme  was  vast  and  proved  a 
pleasant  and  prolonged  study  for  both  Barlow  and 
Fulton.  The  latter  was  so  inspired  by  the  flowing 
stanzas  that  he  made  twelve  illustrations  which 
were  skilfully  engraved  for  the  large  volume, 
published  in  1807,  at  an  outlay  of  nearly  five  thou- 
sand dollars.  This  was  generously  defrayed  by 
Fulton  to  show  his  appreciation  of  Barlow's  many 
kindnesses. 

The  poem  did  not  meet  with  much  success. 
Public  appreciation  failed  to  crown  it  with  ap- 
proval; but  as  an  example  of  loyal  and  generous 
affection  between  friends  it  will  always  command 
interest. 

We  now  come  to  an  interesting  turn  in  the  tide 
of  Fulton^s  affairs.  He  had  proved  that  the 
steamboat  would  run  upon  the  w^aters  of  the  Seine  ; 
he  had  entered  into  a  partnership  with  Chancellor 
Livingston  to  go  to  New  York  to  build  a  boat  for 
traffic  pn  the  Hudson  River  between  New  York 
and  Albany ;  but  the  agreement,  you  remember, 
included  Fulton's  return  to  England  to  order  a 
suitable  engine. 

Accordingly,  Fulton  wrote  a  letter  to  Boulton 


102  ROBERT  FULTON 

&  Watt,  at  that  time  the  most  famous  engine- 
makers  in  the  world,  and  inquired  the  price  of  the 
engine  for  which  he  sent  a  descriptive  drawing. 
He  wanted  only  parts  of  the  machinery,  —  the 
cylinder  of  twenty-four  horse-power,  the  piston- 
rod  and  piston,  the  valves  and  movements  for 
their  opening  and  shutting;  the  air-pump  and 
condenser ;  all  the  other  parts,  he  explained,  could 
be  made  in  New  York,  "as  they  require  a  particular 
arrangement  which  must  be  done  while  I  am 
present." 

He  had  to  get  a  permit  to  export  the  engine,  so 
Fulton  asked  the  builders  to  ship  the  engine  to 
Mr.  Brockholst  Livingston,  through  the  American 
Consul,  in  whose  hands  he  placed  the  money  for 
payment.  He  said  that  if  any  difficulty  arose 
about  getting  the  permit,  he  would  seek  it  through 
the  American  Minister,  James  Monroe. 

Boulton  &  Watt's  reply  appears  to  have  been 
disappointing,  for  a  month  later  Fulton  wrote  to 
repeat  the  order  and  asked  haste  in  its  fulfilment, 
as  "communication  between  France  and  England 
is  daily  growing  more  difficult.''  Four  weeks  later 
the  engine-builders  declined  the  order,  as  they  could 
not  get  permission  to  export  the  machinery.  This 
was  certainly  discouraging,  as  France  and  England 
were  again  declaring  war  against  each  other ;  but 


IN  HOLLAND  AND  ENGLAND  103 

Fulton  traveled  over  to  Holland,  and  wrote  from 
there  to  Mr.  Monroe,  asking  his  assistance,  and 
adding : 

.  .  .  "Your  desire  to  see  useful  arts  introduced  or  created 
in  our  country  is  the  strongest  reason  for  your  urging  the 
permission  and  accepting  no  refusal;  the  fact  is  I  cannot 
establish  the  Boat  without  the  engine.  The  question  is 
then  —  shall  we  or  shall  we  not  have  such  boats?" 

At  the  same  time  Fulton  sent  a  second  entreaty 
to  Boulton  &  Watt,  telling  them  of  his  request  of 
Mr.  Monroe,  and  renewing  the  order.  He  says, 
'^It  gives  me  pain  to  trouble  you  on  a  business  so 
insignificant,  but  I  have  no  confidence  in  any  other 
engines,  and  hope  you  will  give  me  the  necessary 
information  on  the  Boiler  and  other  parts  so  as  to 
produce  the  best  effect.  I  wish  exceedingly  to  be 
obliged  by  you." 

But  no  reply  came  to  either  of  these  letters,  and 
Fulton's  plan  for  the  American  steamboat  seemed 
doomed  to  disappointment.  Again  he  wrote  to 
Mr.  Monroe,  but  the  diplomat  probably  hesitated 
to  ask  for  a  permit  officially  refused  to  an  English 
firm  of  established  reputation,  and  in  behalf  of  an 
American  enthusiast,  already  under  watch  by 
naval  authoritieg.  For  the  British  had  kept  in- 
formed concerning  Fulton's  submarine  torpedo- 
boats,  and  at  the  suggestion  of  the  English  states- 


104  ROBERT  FULTON 

man,  Lord  Stanhope,  they  thought  it  best  to  have 
Fulton  on  their  side  of  the  channeL  Accordingly, 
Lord  Sidmouth,  then  Prime  Minister,  contrived  a 
meeting  with  Fulton  in  Paris  and  persuaded  him  to 
take  the  trip  to  Holland,  where,  on  neutral  ground, 
he  could  confer  with  a  representative  of  the  British 
government. 

Fulton  thus  described  the  meeting:  "About 
this  time.  May,  1803,  there  was  a  gentleman  in 
London,  Dr.  Gregory,  who  had  known  me  in  Paris 
for  some  years.  I  had  many  conversations  with 
him  upon  my  inventions  and  their  probable  suc- 
cess." It  was  this  Dr.  Gregory  whom  Lord 
Sidmouth  sent  to  talk  to  the  inventor. 

Fulton  described  his  invention  to  Dr.  Gregory 
and  offered  to  put  the  English  government  in  full 
possession  of  the  combinations  and  movements  of 
submarine  torpedo-boats,  so  that  any  good  engineer 
could  make  and  navigate  them ;  he  also  promised 
full  directions  for  making  submarine  bombs  and 
to  explain  the  many  ways  to  use  them. 

Dr.  Gregory  asked  Fulton  to  go  to  Holland  to 
await  a  reply.  He  promised  to  bring  it  in  person, 
passing,  for  political  reasons,  under  the  assumed 
name  "Smith."  For  three  months  Fulton  waited 
in  Amsterdam,  until  "Mr.  Smith"  arrived  in 
December  with  unsatisfactory  proposals  from  the 


IN  HOLLAND  AND  ENGLAND  105 

government.  Fulton  declined  these,  but  drew 
up  another  form  of  proposal  for  ''Mr,  Smith"  to 
take  back  to  England.  Then  Fulton  returned  to 
Paris. 

The  following  March  "Mr.  Smith"  arrived  in 
Paris  with  a  letter  from  Lord  Hawksbury ;  it  was 
encouraging ;  and  Fulton  decided  to  go  to  London 
to  consider  an  engagement  by  the  British  govern- 
ment. 

Busy  days  followed  as  Fulton  made  ready  to 
take  his  final  farewell  of  France.  Barlow  also  was 
about  to  return  to  America,  to  spend  his  last  days 
in  peaceful  retirement.  Before  leaving,  Fulton 
packed  a  great  number  of  his  drawings  and  papers 
in  a  large  box  to  ship  to  America ;  but  the  vessel 
was  wrecked  at  sea  and  the  box,  when  finally 
recovered,  was  so  wet  that  much  of  the  writing 
was  impossible  to  decipher.  Cadwallader  Golden, 
who  wrote  the  first  life  of  Fulton,  laments  this 
accident  and  gives  it  as  the  chief  reason  that  so 
little  is  known  of  Fulton's  Hfe  in  England  and 
France.  But  by  the  light  of  many  gathered  facts, 
the  story  of  the  years  has  been  pieced  together. 

Napoleon  was  ready  to  declare  himself  emperor, 
and  this  took  place  on  May  i8th,  1804.  This  act 
was  a  disappointment  to  Fulton  who  had  hoped 
that  the  French  Revolution  would  result  in  the 


io6  ROBERT  FULTON 

formation  of  a  republic.  He  and  Barlow  were 
both  glad  to  leave  Paris  at  this  time.  Indeed, 
Fulton's  contract  with  Livingston  necessitated  his 
trip  to  England  to  get  the  engine,  so  the  overtures 
of  the  British  statesmen  came  just  at  the  right 
time.  Rebuffed  and  disappointed,  after  years  of 
waiting  for  Napoleon's  recognition  of  his  plans, 
Fulton,  as  a  neutral,  had  perfect  liberty  to  transfer 
his  interests  as  well  as  himself  to  another  country. 
He  embarked  for  England  in  May,  and  in  due 
season  reached  London. 


CHAPTER  XI 

Experiments  with  a  Submarine 

Lord  Hawksbury  wrote  Fulton,  "If  you  should 
be  disposed  to  accept  active  employment  from  the 
British  government,  you  may  rely  on  the  most 
liberal  treatment  and  recompense  proportioned  to 
your  ef&cient  service."  No  wonder  that  Fulton 
departed  happily  from  France. 

Arriving  in  London,  he  established  himself  in 
lodgings  and  tried  once  more  to  order  the  engine 
for  the  American  boat ;  he  also  tried  to  induce  the  \ 
British  Ministry  to  accept  his  submarine  torpedo. 
As  his  work  in  France  had  been  publicly  known, 
he  signed  his  letters  to  the  English  statesmen 
"Robert  Francis,"  an  assumed  name  which  was  no 
secret  to  the  English  but  served  to  protect  the 
torpedo  project  from  the  notice  of  French  spies, 
should  there  be  any. 

At  Boulogne,  Napoleon  was  gathering  his  army 
for  a  possible  invasion  of  England.  France, 
enriched  fifteen  million  dollars  by  the  American 
purchase  of  Louisiana,  was  prepared  to  strike  a  new 

107 


io8  ROBERT  FULTON 

blow.  History  made  rapidly  during  those  days; 
maps  and  ruling  powers  were  changing.  Fulton 
swung  his  energies  to  a  fresh  scene  of  action  at  a 
crucial  time. 

He  was  indeed  "playing  with  fire.'*  Fulton's 
danger  during  his  submarine  experiments  in  the 
harbor  of  Brest,  was  small  compared  with  the  risk 
he  would  run  should  he  fall  into  thfe  hands  of  the 
French  while  using  torpedoes  against  them.  Ful- 
ton had  been  told  by  Napoleon's  commission  that 
any  one  employing  such  weapons  of  destruction 
would  certainly  be  hung  if  captured  by  the  enemy ; 
how  much  greater  the  likelihood  now  if  France 
found  the  spurned  machines  effectively  turned 
against  Napoleon's  troops. 

For  so  it  was.  Fulton  was  in  England  only  two 
days  when  he  proposed  to  the  Ministry  a  practical 
.trial  of  his  plunging  vessel,  describing  it  as 
^  thirty-five  feet  long,  having  power  to  sail  like  an 
ordinary  fishing-boat,  with  a  capacity  for  machin- 
ery and  provisions  for  six  persons  for  twenty  days 
at  sea,  capable  of  plunging  and  remaining  three 
hours  under  water  without  aid.  When  necessary 
to  renew  air,  the  boat  need  not  appear  above  the 
water,  but  approaching  the  surface,  could  project 
two  tubes,  one  to  discharge  the  foul  air  already 
breathed,  the  other  to  take  in  fresh  air,  accomplish- 


EXPERIMENTS  WITH  A  SUBMARINE     109 

ing  the  change  in  two  minutes,  when  the  boat 
could  plunge  again  to  remain  another  three  hours 
below. 

In  this  manner  he  promised  that  a  crew  could 
conceal  themselves  under  water  during  a  day  ol 
twelve  hours,  on  renewing  the  air  three  times,  and 
could  remain  many  days  in  the  neighborhood  of  an 
enemy  without  detection. 

He  proposed  a  submarine  expedition  to  destroy 
the  French  fleets  at  Boulogne  and  Brest  "as  they 
now  lie."  It  was  a  daring  plan,  but  Fulton  ad- 
mitted no  possibility  of  defeat  and  offered  person- 
ally to  conduct  the  siege.  He  asked  the  aid  of  a 
good  machinist  to  assist  in  fitting  out  the  vessels, 
and  an  active  sea-ojQ5cer  with  power  to  choose 
one  hundred  hardy  seamen  from  the  fleet  who  were 
good  swimmers,  —  also  about  forty  tons  of  powder 
and  seven  thousand  pounds,  English  money,  to 
fit  out  the  expedition. 

But  the  British  halted  their  judgment.  Delay 
was  irksome  and  Fulton  urged  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  to  consider  his  plan. 

Lord  Sidmouth,  who  had  sent  Dr.  Gregory  to 
call  upon  Fulton  in  Paris,  was  no  longer  in  power ; 
but  had  been  succeeded  by  the  Right  Honourable 
William  Pitt,  a  relative  of  Lord  Stanhope.  The 
latter,  with  Lord  Viscount  Melville,  First  Lord  of 


no  ROBERT  FULTON 

the  Admiralty,  finally  drew  up  a  contract,  which 
was  witnessed  by  Sir  Home  Popham,  and  was 
signed  by  Fulton  in  his  own  name. 

Although  Fulton  was  officially  engaged  by  the 
English  government,  his  plan  was  still  under  con- 
sideration, and  the  actual  expedition  met  with 
several  postponements.  Pitt,  although  impressed 
by  Fulton's  drawings  and  arguments,  said  that  if 
the  torpedo  were  introduced  into  naval  practice 
it  would  in  time  destroy  all  military  marines,  and, 
as  England's  pride  and  strength  was  in  her  navy, 
he  hesitated  to  encourage  a  plan  which  might 
injure  it. 

In  fact,  Pitt  was  hoping  for  peace  rather  than 
^war;  and  for  several  months  the  project  lan- 
guished. 

We  can  imagine  with  how  much  pleasure  Fulton 
accepted  an  invitation  to  breakfast  with  Mr. 
Pitt  on  the  20th  of  July  at  his  coimtry  house  near 
Putney  Common.  Sir  Home  Popham  also  was 
present  and  Fulton  noted  that  ''Lord  Melville 
was  expected  but  did  not  arrive." 

Fulton  noted  in  his  book  of  memoranda,  that 
''during  breakfast  he  explained  the  general  princi- 
ples of  submarine  navigation  and  attack  which 
appeared  to  give  pleasure  and  make  a  strong 
impression."    The    enthusiasm    of    the    inventor 


EXPERIMENTS  WITH  A  SUBMARINE     iii 

prevailed.    Little  by  little  he  won  by  argument  the  \/ 
approval  of  the  half-sceptical  British  statesmen. 

Finally  Mr.  Pitt  directly  asked  Sir  Home  Popham 
if  an  agreement  could  be  reached  and  Sir  Home 
assented,  saying  Mr.  Pitt's  "perusal  and  signature 
alone  were  wanting."  Then  Mr.  Pitt  read  and 
signed  the  papers,  and  delivered  them  to  Sir  Home 
Popham,  with  orders  to  call  upon  Lord  Melville 
for  his  signature. 

This  was  another  red-letter  day  in  Fulton's 
history,  —  indeed  in  the  history  of  the  world's 
naval  warfare.  For  the  signed  papers  were  a 
contract  with  the  inventor  to  fit  out  a  British' 
torpedo  expedition  against  the  French  fleet  at 
Boulogne.  Sir  Home  left  early,  bearing  the  pre- 
cious documents,  and  Mr.  Pitt  when  alone  with 
Fulton  remarked  upon  the  extraordinary  invention 
which  seemed  to  "go  to  the  destruction  of  all 
fleets." 

Fulton  replied,  "It  was  invented  with  that  view." 
He  added  in  his  book  of  memoranda : 

"As  I  had  no  desire  to  deceive  him  or  the  govern- 
ment, I  did  not  hesitate  to  give  as  my  opinion  that 
this  invention  would  lead  to  the  total  annihilation 
of  the  existing  system  of  marine  war." 

"But,"  said  Mr.  Pitt,  "in  its  present  state  of 
perfectionment  those  who  command  the  seas  will 


112  ROBERT  FULTON 

be  benefited  by  it,  while  the  minor  maritime 
powers  can  draw  no  advantage  from  what  is  now 
known." 

"True,  unless  plunging  or  submarine  vessels  were 
introduced  into  practice,"  answered  Fulton.  *^It 
probably  would  be  some  years  before  any  nation 
could  bring  such  a  vessel  to  perfection  —  at  all  events 
there  would  be  time  to  fit  future  politics  to  future 
circumstances;  if  at  present  the  French  prepara- 
tions can  be  destroyed  by  submarine  attack,  it  will 
convince  Bonaparte  and  the  whole  world  that 
Frenchmen  never  can  make  a  descent  on  England, 
for  any  future  fleet  prepared  by  them  may  be 
burnt  in  like  manner." 

Fulton  notes  that  little  more  was  said.  It  was 
agreed  that  the  torpedo  attack  should  take  place 
at  Boulogne  as  soon  as  the  engines  could  be  pre- 
pared, and,  after  agreeing  to  call  again  upon  Mr. 
Pitt  during  the  week,  Fulton  returned  to  London. 

But  the  acceptance  was  for  only  one-half  of  his 
project.  Torpedoes  were  to  be  used,  set  with 
clock-work  for  future  explosion,  and  these  weapons, 
leaded  so  they  floated  below  the  surface  of  the 
water,  were  to  be  towed  by  catamarans,  or  rafts, 
consisting  of  two  long  sidewise  planks,  so  placed 
that  a  man  sat  between  them  on  a  submerged 
seat.    He  guided   the  raft   toward   the   enemy's 


EXPERIMENTS  WITH  A  SUBMARINE     113 

ship,  attached  the  torpedo  to  the  anchor-cable, 
and  then  paddled  away,  under  water  if  need 
required,  leaving  the  clock-work  agent  of  destruc- 
tion to  float  broadside  beneath  the  vessel,  with  the 
turn  of  the  tide,  for  later  explosion. 

In  the  dusk  of  the  evening  of  October  2d,  1804, 
several  catamarans,  led  by  the  flag-ship  Monarch 
with  Admiral  Keith  in  command,  stole  quietly 
into  the  harbor  of  Boulogne.  Seamen,  in  black 
jerseys,  waistcoats  and  trousers,  with  black  caps 
pulled  over  their  faces,  managed  to  paddle  each 
raft  into  position,  attach  the  torpedoes  and  get 
away  in  safety.  But  the  French  ships  swung 
about  and  avoided  the  bombs;  only  one  wrought 
destruction  upon  a  small  vessel  with  a  crew  of 
twenty-one  men.  The  other  bombs  drifted  ashore 
and  exploded  without  serious  harm,  and  at  early 
dawn  the  British  sailed  away,  without  losing  a 
man,  but  with  so  slight  accomplishment  that  it 
was  termed  a  failure.  Fulton  was  present,  as  were 
also  Sir  Home  Popham  and  Viscount  Melville,  v-'''^ 
The  inventor's  disappointment  must  have  been 
great. 

The  attack  was  followed  by  a  storm  of  protest 
in  England.    It  was  considered  unlawful  warfare, 
—  the  just  idea   of  mercy   construed   as   unfair  ^ 
such  a  form  of  siege.    Others  made  fun  of  it,  and 


114  ROBERT  FULTON 

a  merry  wag  wrote  a  ballad  for  the  newspaper, 
supposedly  sung  by  the  Secretary  of  War : 

See  here  my  casks  and  coffers, 
With  triggers  pulled  by  clocks ! 
But  to  the  Frenchman's  rigging 
Who  first  will  lash  these  blocks? 

Catamarans  are  ready, 
(Jack  turns  his  quid  and  grins) 
Where  snugly  you  may  paddle 
In  water  to  your  chins. 

Then  who  my  blocks  will  fasten, 
My  casks  and  coffers  lay? 
My  pendulums  set  ticking 
And  bring  the  pins  away? 

"  Your  project  new  ?  "    Jack  mutters, 
"  Avast  I    'Tis  very  stale,  — 
'Tis  catching  birds,  land-lubbers, 
By  salt  upon  the  tail." 

In  December  another  trial  of  the  submarine 
torpedo-boat  was  made  against  the  Red  Fort  in  the 
harbor  of  Calais.  Only  one  of  the  two  bombs 
exploded  and  little  damage  was  done. 

So  passed  several  months,  —  months  of  en- 
treaty on  Fulton's  part,  —  months  of  cautious 
planning  on  the  part  of  the  British  statesmen. 
It  was  an  open  secret  that  they  did  not  like  that 
sort  of  warfare.    Any  man  less  persevering  than 


EXPERIMENTS  WITH  A  SUBMARINE     115 

Fulton  would  have  thought  their  lack  of  interest 
a  sufficient  dismissal. 

But  Fulton  eagerly  continued  to  plead  for  a  more 
extended  trial  of  his  new  device.  He  explained  that 
the  partial  failure  of  the  early  attempts  was  due  to 
lack  of  knowledge  in  the  men  employed  to  handle 
the  explosives.  He  lost  no  faith  in  his  plan  and 
urged  that  it  be  adopted  "as  a  system"  by  the 
EngHsh  fleet.  Finally  his  persistence  was  re- 
warded; Mr.  Pitt  gave  permission  for  a  pubHc 
demonstration  of  his  plan  at  Walmar  Roads,  near 
Deal  Harbor,  within  a  mile  of  Mr.  Pitt's  country 
residence,  Walmar  Castle. 

Fulton  secured  the  Danish  brig  Dorothea  —  a 
prize  of  war  —  and  anchored  her  within  safe  range 
from  the  shore,  in  easy  sight  of  the  crowd  of  dis- 
tinguished visitors  whom  he  invited  to  witness  the 
experiment.  The  rumor  spread  that  "Mr. 
Francis,"  who  had  invented  and  built  the  machines 
used  by  Sir  Home  Popham  against  the  enemy's 
ships  at  Boulogne,  was  to  try  to  blow  up  a  three 
hundred  ton  brig  with  one  of  his  novel  catamarans. 
A  multitude  assembled  on  the  beach  eager  to  see 
the  explosion. 

Fulton  wrote  a  letter  to  Lord  Castlereigh,  the 
next  day,  which  gives  a  fine  account  of  all  that 
happened.    He  says : 


ii6  ROBERT  FULTON 

"Yesterday  about  four  o'clock,  I  made  the  intended 
experiment  on  the  brig,  with  a  carcass  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy  pounds  of  powder;  and  I  have  the  pleasm*e  to 
inform  you  that  it  succeeded  beyond  my  most  sanguine 
expectations.  Exactly  in  fifteen  minutes  from  the  time  of 
drawing  the  peg  and  throwing  the  carcass  into  the  water, 
the  explosion  took  place.  It  lifted  the  brig  almost  bodily 
and  broke  her  completely  in  two.  The  ends  sunk  immedi- 
ately and  in  one  minute  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  her  but 
floating  fragments;  her  main  mast  was  broken  in  three 
places ;  her  beams  and  knees  were  thrown  from  her  decks 
and  sides,  and  her  deck  planks  were  rent  to  fibers.  In  fact, 
her  annihilation  was  complete,  and  the  effect  was  most 
extraordinary.  The  power,  as  I  had  calculated,  passed  in 
a  right  line  through  her  body,  that  being  the  line  of  least 
resistance,  and  carried  all  before  it.  At  the  time  of  her 
going  up,  she  did  not  appear  to  make  more  resistance  than 
a  bag  of  feathers,  and  went  to  pieces  like  a  scattered  egg- 
sheU." 

The  unbelieving  statesmen  were  convinced  by 
this  demonstration  before  their  very  eyes.  Fulton 
was  of  course  happy  and  satisfied;  and  wrote  to 
Benjamin  West  (whom  he  affectionately  addresses 
as  ^' Mammy"),  giving  a  graphic  account  of  the 
event. 

Dover,  Oct.  i6th,  1805. 
My  dear  Mammy  West  ; 

You  have  perhaps  seen  in  the  papers  a  French  account 
of  a  little  blow-up  which  took  place  at  Boulogne  on  the  first 
of  this  month ;  it  wa*  an  experiment  on  a  small  scale  to  try 


EXPERIMENTS  WITH  A  SUBMARINE      117 

the  effect  of  four  of  my  submarine  bombs  or  torpedoes. 
They  were  carried  in  by  two  small  boats  which  the  French 
have  magnified  to  many  fire-ships  with  a  formidable  attack 
of  boats,  etc.,  which  shows  that  they  were  much  frightened 
or  that  the  public  must  be  amused  with  a  long  story ;  how- 
ever, the  torpedoes  did  not  produce  the  desired  effect  and 
I  saw  a  great  prejudice  arise  in  the  minds  of  the  officers 
against  them :  but  sure  of  their  effects  and  convinced  that 
they  had  only  been  badly  applied,  I  the  next  day  purchased 
a  strong  Danish  brig  of  250  tons,  determined  to  blow  her  up 
and  at  the  same  time  give  the  officers  a  lesson  how  to  act : 
the  brig  was  soon  put  in  order,  ballast  and  water  casks  were 
laid  in,  and  sails  bent  as  if  intended  for  a  voyage ;  she  was 
then  surveyed  and  acknowledged  on  all  sides  to  be  as  strong 
as  any  of  the  craft  at  Boulogne :  Everything  being  ready  she 
was  on  Monday  morning  sent  to  Walmar  road  and  anchored 
opposite  Walmar  Castle,  about  half  a  mile  at  sea.  The 
public  curiosity  was  soon  excited,  who  expected  the  experi- 
ment to  be  made  about  4  o'clock ;  but  that  evening  and  the 
next  morning  passed  in  practicing  my  men.  About  3 
yesterday  I  came  on  there  and  walked  down  the  beach 
where  I  made  the  signal  of  attack:  instantly  one  of  my 
long  galleys  rushed  forward  and  grappled  the  torpedo  line 
in  the  cable  of  the  tug.  The  force  of  the  tide  then  pressed 
the  torpedo,  which  was  set  to  fifteen  minutes,  under  her 
bottom,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  the  awful  explosion  took 
place :  it  lifted  the  whole  body  of  the  vessel  almost  out  of 
water  and  broke  her  completely  in  two  in  the  middle ;  the 
mainmast  and  pumps  were  blown  out  of  her  and  in  one 
minute  nothing  of  her  was  to  be  seen  but  floating  fragments. 
The  torpedo  contained  170  pounds  of  powder.  The  experi- 
BQcnt  was  the  most  complete  that  could  be  desired  but  most 


ii8  ROBERT  FULTON 

tremendous  and  frightful  and  carries  with  it  one  reflection 

which  gives  me  some  pain,  that  in  vessels  thus  attacked  it 

will  be  impossible  to  save  the  men,  and  many  a  worthy 

character  must  perish. 

All  doubts  are  now  removed  on  the  power  and  simplicity 

of  this  invention.    The  defects  which  have  attended  it  was 

bad  management  which  is  now  corrected. 

Yours  truly, 

RoBT.  Fulton. 

Success  was  apparently  at  hand,  but  again  it 
eluded  him.  A  strong  combination  of  national 
forces  turned  the  tide  of  war.  Austria  and  Russia 
combined  forces  against  Napoleon  and  the  emperor 
was  forced  to  break  camp  at  Boulogne  to  transfer 
the  seat  of  war  to  Central  Europe;  nor  was  this 
all ;  on  October  21st,  less  than  a  week  after  Fulton's 
demonstration  of  torpedo  warfare,  Nelson  with 
his  banner  ^^  England  expects  every  Man  to  do 
His  Duty,"  won  the  great  victory  at  Trafalgar, 
routing  the  forces  of  France  and  Spain,  and  dis- 
posing of  any  Napoleonic  dream  of  conquest  over 
England  on  the  high  seas.  Great  Britain  held 
supremacy  on  the  ocean,  —  she  needed  no  new 
weapon  of  destruction;  and  with  the  artillery  of 
France  silenced,  the  country  was  unHkely  to  Ksten 
further  to  Fulton's  plan.  The  old  way  was  con- 
sidered the  best  way.  Pitt  was  called  ^'  the  greatest 
fool  that  ever  existed,  to  encourage  a  mode  of  war 


EXPERIMENTS  WITH  A  SUBMARINE     119 

which  they  who  commanded  the  seas  did  not  want, 
and  which  if  successful  would  deprive  them  of  it." 

So  faded  again  Fulton's  dream  of  universal  %/ 
peace  through  the  stratagems  of  war.  Yet  he  was 
under  contract  with  the  British  government  to 
supply  the  invention,  which  he  found,  after  many 
inquiries,  they  did  not  want.  They  offered  to 
grant  him  an  annuity  if  he  would  promise  to  sup- 
press the  submarine  torpedo  and  agree  that  neither 
England  nor  any  other  country  should  adopt  it, 
Fulton  sent  a  fearless  reply  to  the  Arbitration 
Committee  who  made  the  suggestion.  He  de- 
clared that  he  would  never  consent  to  the  aban- 
donment of  his  project.  "In  fact,  I  will  do  my 
utmost  to  make  it  a  good  philosophic  work  and 
give  it  to  the  world.  I  will  then  form  a  committee  / 
of  the  most  respectable  men  of  America  and  pro- 
ceed regularly  in  experiments  on  a  large  scale, 
publishing  the  result  from  time  to  time  and  thus 
drawing  the  attention  of  the  ingenious  and  enter- 
prising to  such  pursuits.  I  shall  hope  to  succeed 
in  my  first  object,  that  of  annihilating  all  military 
marines  and  giving  liberty  to  the  seas." 

The  English  probably  smiled  contentedly  at  the 
ardor  of  the  enthusiast.     Fulton  continued : 

"  Gentlemen,  a  man  who  has  the  candor  to  give 
you  this  in  writing  has  but  Httle  deception  or  fear 


I20  ROBERT  FULTON 

in  his  character  and  will  not  abandon  so  glorious 
an  enterprise  for  trifling  rebuffs  or  mean  considera- 
tion. 

"At  all  events,  whatever  may  be  your  reward, 
I  will  never  consent  to  let  these  inventions  lie 
dormant  should  my  country  at  any  time  have  need 
of  them.  Were  you  to  grant  me  an  annuity  of 
twenty  thousand  pounds  a  year,  I  would  sacrifice 
all  to  the  safety  and  independence  of  my  country. 
I  hope  that  England  and  America  will  understand 
their  mutual  interest  too  well  to  war  with  each 
other.  And  I  have  no  desire  to  introduce  my 
engines  into  practice  for  the  benefit  of  any  other 
nation."  ^ 

*  On  the  6th  of  June,  1914,  the  writer  laid  aside  work  upon  this 
volume,  to  serve  as  sponsor  for  the  U.  S.  Submarine  Tender 
Fulton,  launched  at  Quincy,  Massachusetts,  —  the  first  vessel  of 
its  t3rpe  in  our  navy,  to  serve  as  Mother  of  the  Fleet  of  Torpedoes. 


CHAPTER  XII 

Some  Early  Steamboats 

Fulton  did  not  forget  his  promise  to  build  a 
steamboat  for  America,  even  though  he  was  so 
occupied  in  trying  to  induce  the  English  people 
to  use  his  submarine  torpedoes.  As  soon  as  he 
arrived  in  London,  free  from  the  entanglements 
of  French  warfare,  he  renewed  his  order  for  the 
engine  and  tried  to  gain  permission  for  its  shipment 
to  America. 

The  permit  was  finally  obtained,  the  engine 
built,  and  in  March,  1805,  Fulton  notes  in  his 
account-book  that  he  paid  the  fee  at  the  Treasury 
"on  receiving  permission  to  ship  the  engine  for 
America."  In  January  he  had  paid  five  hundred 
and  forty-eight  pounds  for  the  cylinder  and  parts 
of  the  engine,  and  in  March  four  hundred  and 
seventy-six  pounds,  eleven  shillings,  sixpence  for 
the  copper  boiler. 

Some  years  ago,  a  story  "went  the  rounds"  of 
the  newspapers  that  the  boiler  for  Fulton's  Ameri- 
can boat  was  made  from  melted  copper  pennies. 

121 


/ 


122  ROBERT  FULTON 

Coins  of  1799  to  1804  were  rare  and  this  fiction 
was  invented  to  explain  the  scarcity,  but  Fulton^s 
notebook  contradicts  it.  Copper  was  hard  to  get, 
and  expensive,  but  Fulton  found  it  and  paid  for 
it,  —  full  value  too,  one  would  say ! 

The  engine  preceded  Fulton  across  the  water 
by  a  year,  for  Fulton  stayed  in  England  until  the 
autumn  of  1806.     It  lay  at  the  Custom  House  for 
six  months,  and  was  then  carted  to  a  storage-house 
on  South  Street  until  the  boat  was  built  to  receive  it. 
To  this  period  of  Fulton's  life  belong  two  inter- 
esting letters :  they  prove  that  he  was  ever  mindful 
/  of  his  brother  and  sisters  in  far-away  Pennsylvania, 
(  even  while  he  was  debating  an^ously  with  English 
statesmen  and  planning  a  novel  boat  for  American 


W 


vaters. 

The  first  letter  was  written  to  his  brother-in-law, 
David  Morris,  and  is  full  of  intimate  and  whole- 
some advice  for  he  evidently  realized  the  short- 
comings in  his  own  early  education.  Written  in 
London,  October  25th,  1805,  it  says  in  part: 

I  wrote  you  on  the  20th  and  sent  you  an  order  on  John 
Mason,  Esqr.  for  300  dollars  to  be  paid  out  of  my  dividends 
of  the  first  of  January  1806,  which  will  make  in  the  whole 
900  dollars  of  which  I  desired  the  division  as  follows: 

300  to  Mrs.  Scott, 

300  to  Mrs.  Cook 


SOME  EARLY  STEAMBOATS  123 

200  to  Abraham 
50  to  your  wife 

50  for  sundries,  as  j^'ou  will  find  detailed  when  you 
receive  my  letter. 

Having  observed  bad  spelling  and  writing  in  the  letters 
I  have  received,  and  knowing  that  such  errors  may  be  cor- 
rected with  a  little  industry  and  care  on  winter  evenings, 
I  have  desired  a  friend  of  mine  at  New  York  to  send  you 

4  of  Johnston's  spelling  dictionaries. 

4  works  on  Arithmetic. 

4  sets  of  good  copperplate  copies  of  large  and  small  hand. 

4  sets  of  the  Spectator. 

One  of  each  to  be  a  fixture  in  your  family  for  the  use  of 
the  children;  one  of  each  for  Bell's  family:  one  ditto  for 
Mrs.  Scott's  and  one  ditto  for  Abraham. 

The  dictionaries  will,  I  hope,  correct  the  spelling  and  by 
reading  the  Spectator  often  it  v/ill  improve  the  understanding 
and  give  ideas  of  a  neat  style.  It  is  an  immense  object  to 
learn  children  to  write  a  straight  fair  hand,  to  spell  well  and 
cipher  to  the  rule  of  three ;  and  although  this  is  not  much  of 
an  education  yet  when  well  fixed  in  the  mind  with  a  little 
brains  and  some  industry  a  man  may  learn  anything. 
The  greatest  men  America  has  produced  had  not  much  more 
education  than  here  mentioned  from  their  parents,  but  they 
had  a  great  and  meritorious  industry ;  Franklin,  Washington, 
and  Rittenhouse  are  examples. 

Wishing  you  all  well  it  will  give  me  pleasure  to  hear  that 

you  do  well. 

Robert  Fulton. 

It  is  certain  that  Fulton  had  practised  what  he 
here  preaches  to  his  nephews  and  nieces.    During 


124  ROBERT  FULTON 

his  study  of  the  great  men  of  the  day,  Franklin, 
Washington,  and  Rittenhouse,  he  had  caught  the 
illuminative  spark  of  their  genius,  struck  out  upon 
life's  anvil  by  their  hard  blows  of  untiring  work. 
The  secret  of  their  power  was  constant  self-culture, 
and  Fulton  applied  himself  to  gain  this  foundation 
of  strength  by  the  application  of  his  mature  mind 
to  the  education  which  circumstances  had  deprived 
him  of  in  his  youth. 

Let  us  hope  that  the  nephews  and  nieces  gladly 
received  these  gift-books  from  their  famous  uncle 
whom  they  had  never  seen,  welcomed  the  big 
dictionaries  and  arithmetics  with  joy,  and  studied 
hard  during  the  winter  evenings,  as  he  suggested. 

About  the  same  time  he  also  wrote  the  following 
letter  to  Mr.  Hoge,  the  first  settler  in  Washington, 
Pennsylvania,  from  whom  he  had  received  an 
inquiry  in  regard  to  the  four  lots  he  had  purchased. 
It  shows  Fulton's  unfailing  generosity  to  his  brother 
and  sisters : 

"I  thank  you  kindly  for  your  friendly  letter  of 
the  first  of  June ;  it  is  so  many  years  since  I  had 
any  communication  with  you,  or  accurate  account 
of  my  relations,  together  with  many  copies  of  my 
letters  being  lost  in  my  travels,  and  considering  my 
property  in  your  country  of  value  only  in  as  much 
as  it  was  of  use  to  my  relatives,  I  had  forgot  the 


SOME  EARLY  STEAMBOATS  125 

grants  I  formerly  made  of  the  three  lots.  I  find 
however  that  one  of  them  has  been  transferred  to 
Mr.  Morris,  one  to  Mrs.  Cook,  and  one  was  left 
by  my  mother  to  Peggy  Scott. 

"I  now  desire  that  those  grants  may  be  con- 
sidered permanent  and  resigning  all  claims  to 
them,  from  this  time  I  shall  not  reckon  them  in  my 
calculations.'^ 

In  his  will,  drawn  in  18 14,  Fulton  left  a  legacy  of 
money  also  to  each  of  his  sisters  and  his  brother. 

Before  we  approach  the  story  of  the  Clermont,  it 
is  fair  and  just  to  give  credit  to  several  men  who 
worked  very  hard  to  try  to  build  a  "first"  steam- 
boat. There  were  so  many  attempts  to  produce  the 
needed  invention  that  it  is  hard  to  say  which 
man  should  have  the  honor  of  being  placed  first. 

Perhaps  the  earliest  was  Dr.  John  Allen,  of 
England,  who  in  1730  wrote  a  scientific  paper, 
entitled  "Navigation  in  a  Calm,"  suggesting  that 
a  "fire  engine  with  its  furniture"  could  be  put  on 
board  a  ship  and  drive  it  twelve  or  fourteen  miles 
an  hour. 

Probably  most  of  those  who  read  his  pamphlet 
smiled  at  his  absurd  idea,  but  six  years  later,  in  1736, 
Jonathan  Hulls  took  out  a  patent  for  a  tug-boat 
to  be  moved  by  wheels  at  the  stern  by  the  power  of 
an  atmospheric  engine. 


126  ROBERT  FULTON 

In  America,  where  there  are  many  deep  rivers,  it 
is  not  surprising  to  find  that  there  were  many 
experimenters:  James  Rumsey,  of  Virginia,  built 
a  boat  for  trial  on  the  Potomac  River  and  in  1787 
had  it  working  so  well  that  he  journeyed  to  Eng- 
land to  try  to  advance  his  invention.  There  he 
persuaded  a  rich  American  to  forward  funds  to 
build  another  boat  for  a  trial  on  the  Thames,  but 
Rumsey  died  before  his  vessel  was  an  established 
success.  His  system  was  not  very  practical  and 
failed  to  work  well. 

Captain  Samuel  Morey,  in  1793,  built  a  tiny 
craft,  ''scarce  big  enough  to  carry  himself,"  it  was 
said,  and  tried  it  upon  the  Connecticut  River,  but 
the  first  attempt  failed  to  establish  a  claim  to 
consideration  and  his  plan  was  given  up. 

In  1792  another  Connecticut  man,  Elijah  Orms- 
bee,  a  clever  carpenter,  moved  to  Providence, 
Rhode  Island,  and  built  a  boat  in  which  his  friend, 
David  Wilkinson  of  Pawtucket,  fitted  "flutter 
wheels"  and  a  ''goose-foot  propeller."  They 
made  the  boat  run  several  times  from  Pawtucket 
to  Providence,  but  that  was  the  last  heard  of  it. 
The  piston  was  turned  by  atmospheric  pressure, 
not  by  the  direct  use  of  steam. 

Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt,  who  afterward  became 
Fulton's  and  Livingston's  representative  in  Ohio 


SOME  EARLY  STEAMBOATS  127 

River  navigation,  also  had  a  "try^'  at  inventing  a 
boat ;  so  had  William  Henry  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Edward  West ;  both  left  records  of  their  attempts. 
There  were  others,  too,  a  long  list  of  worthies, 
who  labored  well,  but  neither  well  enough  nor  long 
enough  to  convince  doubting  humanity  that  they 
y^had  "found  a  way  upon  the  waters."  Chief 
among  them  should  forever  stand  the  name  of 
John  Fitch,  who  had  so  sure  yet  faint  a  grasp 
upon  the  new  science.  In  1786,  he  built  a  boat 
thirty-four  feet  long,  and  launched  it  upon  the 
Delaware  River  where  it  proved  its  worth.  He 
organized  a  stock  company  to  finance  and  direct 
the  enterprise.  The  boat  ran  for  a  short  time 
between  Philadelphia  and  Bordentown,  but  the 
machinery  was  cumbersome,  the  service  scanty, 
and  the  company  lost  money.  In  the  autiunn  the 
boat  was  set  aside  and  never  used  again.  After 
a  visit  to  France,  where  Fitch  obtained  a  patent 
but  failed  to  secure  funds  for  a  new  boat,  he  returned 
to  America  as  a  deck-hand  after  his  fruitless 
task.  A  few  years  later  he  died,  a  disappointed 
and  discouraged  man.  To  his  mechanical  genius 
there  was  linked  an  erratic  character  and  an 
unsettled  disposition.  Had  he  been  able  to  set 
aside  the  belittling  influences  of  his  life,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  he  would  have  been  a  great  man. 


128  ROBERT  FULTON 


• 


As  in  "Prize  Contests"  of  the  present  day, 
honorable  mention  is  made  of  those  whose  work  was 
excellent  although  it  failed  to  win  the  highest 
award ;  so  may  we  unhesitatingly  yield  honorable 
mention  to  John  Fitch  for  his  years  of  study.  He 
did  build  a  boat;  he  did  make  it  run;  but  he 
failed  to  establish  steam  navigation  as  a  practical 
system  of  transportation  and  a  commercial  success. 
In  addition  to  these  Americans  there  were  men 
of  science  in  other  lands  who  busied  themselves 
with  the  same  problem.  Earl  Stanhope  of 
England,  whose  attempt  has  been  noted ;  Patrick 
Miller  of  Scotland ;  the  Messrs.  Hunter  and  Dickin- 
son; William  Symington,  who  tried  a  tug  on  the 
Forth  and  Clyde  Canal ;  M.  des  Blanc,  of  France, 
who  essayed  to  build  a  boat  for  the  Rhone ;  all  are 
recorded  in  history  as  having  made  honest  attempts 
to  prove  that  the  power  of  steam  could  be  applied 
to  boats.  But  how?  That  was  the  question. 
And  it  should  be  noted  that  Robert  Fulton  did  not 
accept  the  theory  of  any  previous  experimenter, 
nor  did  he  merely  happen  upon  his  successful  plan. 
He  worked  long  and  patiently,  with  varying  degrees 
of  success,  until  he  discovered  the  proper  tables  of 
proportion,  —  the  size  and  shape  of  the  boat  and 
x/  its  paddles,  the  weight  and  power  of  the  engine,  the 
strength  of  tide  and  currents,  and  all  the  many 


SOME  EARLY  STEAMBOATS  129 

contributing  forces  which  united  to  form  the  prac- 
tical and  successful  boat  he  finally  produced. 

Several  interesting  descriptions  of  Fulton's  ex- 
periments are  in  existence:  one,  dated  Paris, 
Jan.  9th,  1803,  is  entitled  "Experiments  on  the 
Model  of  a  Boat  to  be  Moved  by  a  Steam  Engine.'' 
It  describes  six  different  methods  by  which  he 
propelled  a  model  of  a  boat  three  feet  long  and 
eight  inches  wide.  From  the  knowledge  he  gained 
in  these  experiments,  he  compiled  a  "table  of 
comparisons"  showing  the  different  distances 
covered  by  the  use  of  varying  sized  paddles.  He 
concluded:  "Propelling  a  boat  through  water 
is  the  act  of  separating  two  bodies,  —  the  boat 
from  its  oars  or  paddles,  or  whatever  else  is  appHed, 
—  and  this  is  governed  by  laws  reducible  to  simple 
calculation." 

It  was  this  science  of  calculation  which  gave 
Fulton  the  mastery  of  the  situation,  and  his  title, 
Inventor  of  Steam  Navigation.  He  did  not  build 
a  boat  by  guess-work,  but  built  many  boats  by 
actual  calculation  of  their  power  and  speed ;  these 
he  introduced  upon  several  waterways  and  estab- 
lished each  as  a  commercial  success.  Other  men 
had  produced  the  "flower  of  invention."  Fulton 
produced  the  more  perfect  flower  and  matured  it 
to  actual  fruitage. 


^ 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Building  the  Clermont 

When  Fulton,  a  youth  of  twenty-one,  sailed 
from  America  in  1786,  he  carried  one  letter  of 
introduction  in  his  pocket  and  forty  guineas  in  his 
purse.  Twenty  years  later  he  returned,  a  man  of 
prominence,  with  plans  and  purposes  enough  to 
fill  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His  arbitration  with 
the  British  government  was  finished;  he  had 
been  paid  for  services  rendered  to  the  fleet;  and 
the  system  of  torpedo  warfare  remained  his  own, 
for  he  had  declined  to  suppress  it,  at  any  price. 
He  was  content,  in  excellent  health,  "never  better," 
he  said,  and  in  good  spirits.  Thus  he  wrote  to  his 
friend  Joel  Barlow,  announcing  his  return. 
^  It  was  his  hope  to  arrive  in  America  by  the  14th 
oi  November,  his  birthday,  and  eat  roast  goose  in 
Barlow^s  hospitable  home,  ^^Kalorama,"  —  a  fine 
country  estate  near  the  city  of  Washington.  But 
the  slow-sailing  ship  in  which  he  embarked  from 
Falmouth  during  the  first  week  in  October  did  not 
come  to  port  in  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  until  the 
13th  of  December,  1806. 

130 


BUILDING  THE  CLERMONT  131 

How  happy  Fulton  was  to  be  again  in  his  native- 
land.  He  traveled  at  once  by  stage-coach  to 
visit  the  Barlows  in  their  new  and  delightful  home, 
which  he  called  the  *^  Athenian  Garden  of  America." 
There  he  entered  another  circle  of  Barlow's  friends, 
statesmen  of  the  day,  among  whom  were  Jefferson, 
Madison,  and  other  men  of  prominence. 

In  Fulton's  letter  to  Barlow  he  had  said,  "You 
know  I  cannot  exist  without  a  project,  or  projects, 
and  I  have  two  or  three  of  the  first  order  of  sub- 
limity." It  was  true,  and  he  immediately  set 
himself  to  the  task  of  forwarding  them.  He 
certainly  believed  in  the  importance  of  the  work 
he  was  about  to  begin. 

The  world  has  honored  Fulton  as  the  "inventor 
of  the  steamboat " ;  his  history  shows  that  his 
other  invention,  the  submarine  torpedo-boat,"  was 
of  equal  importance  in  Fulton's  estimation. 
Pledged  to  partnership  with  Chancellor  Livingston 
to  build  the  boat  for  the  Hudson  River,  he  also 
found  time,  soon  after  his  arrival  in  America,  to 
interest  his  countrymen  in  his  project  of  submarine 
navigation.  Joel  Barlow  helped  him  in  this  plan 
by  inviting  James  Madison,  Secretary  of  State, 
and  Robert  Smith,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  to 
witness  an  experiment  at  Kalorama,  on  the  waters 
of  Rock  Creek,    These  men  were  favorably  im- 


132  ROBERT  FULTON 

pressed,  and  Fulton  soon  after  arranged  a  series  of 
experiments  in  the  harbor  of  New  York ;  but  three 
years  went  by  before  Congress  appropriated  money 
to  finance  the  invention  in  a  practical  way. 

Fulton's  fame  had  spread,  and  in  March  he  was 
invited  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  then  President  of  the 
United  States,  to  examine  the  ground  and  report 
on  the  possibility  of  building  a  canal  to  unite  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi  River  with  Lake  Pont- 
chartrain;  but  Fulton  replied,  "although  infinitely 
obliged  by  the  proposal  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  under- 
take a  work  so  interesting  and  honorable.  The 
reason  is  I  now  have  ship-builders,  blacksmiths 
and  carpenters  occupied  at  New  York  in  building 
and  executing  the  machinery  of  my  steamboat  and 
I  must  return  to  that  city  in  ten  days  to  direct 
the  work  till  finished,  which  will  probably  require 
four  months.  The  enterprise  is  of  much  impor- 
tance to  me  individually  and  I  hope  will  be  of 
great  use  in  facilitating  the  navigation  of  some  of 
our  long  rivers.  Like  every  enthusiast  I  have  no 
doubt  of  success.  I  therefore  work  with  ardor  and 
when  adjusting  the  parts  of  the  machine  I  cannot 
leave  the  men  for  a  day.  I  am  also  preparing  the 
engines  for  an  experiment  of  blowing  up  a  vessel  in 
the  harbor  of  New  York  this  spring.  The  machines 
for  this  purpose  are  in  great  forwardness  and  I 


BUILDING  THE  CLERMONT  133 

hope  to  be  able  to  convince  the  rational  part  of 
the  inhabitants  of  our  cities  that  vessels  of  war  shall 
never  enter  our  harbors  or  approach  our  coasts  but 
by  our  consent.  Thus  I  hope  I  am  usefully  em- 
ployed for  six  or  nine  months." 

How  strange  seem  all  these  plans  in  the  light 
of  a  century's  progress!  We  are  prone  to  think 
that  civilization  has  come  by  leaps  and  bounds, 
but  a  letter  like  this  proves  that  men  have  had  to 
develop  it  by  patient  industry. 

Fulton  engaged  a  boat-builder,  Charles  Browne 
by  name,  whose  yards  were  at  Corlears  Hook  on 
the  East  River,  to  construct  the  hull.  It  was  a 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  thirteen  feet  wide, 
drawing  two  feet  of  water,  bow  and  stern  sixty 
degrees.  You  will  remember  that  the  engine  from 
England  was  safely  stored  in  a  warehouse,  on 
South  Street,  and  it  was  carted  over  to  place  in  the 
boat  on  April  23d,  1807.  Fulton  kept  an  ac- 
count of  all  expenses  and  his  worn  little  note-book 
tells  many  details  which  otherwise  would  have 
been  lost. 

Plenty  of  people  laughed  at  the  enterprise  and 
few  thought  it  would  amount  to  anything.  Idle- 
minded  men  crowded  near  the  ship-yards  and  gave 
their  reasons  for  predicting  the  certain  failure  of 
FtUton's  Folly  J  as  they  called  the  boat.    This  was' 


134  ROBERT  FULTON 

unpleasant  but  Fulton  took  no  notice  of  them  for 
he  had  long  before  realized  that  only  wise  people  can 
grasp  new  ideas.  His  patience  was  inexhaustible 
and  his  temper  undisturbed.  He  declined  to  listen 
to  the  jeers  of  the  bystanders  who  often  rudely  in- 
tended their  remarks  to  reach  his  ears.  And  day 
by  day  the  boat  advanced  toward  completion. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Livingston,  by  the 
terms  of  contract,  could  not  be  called  upon  for 
more  money;  we  can  fancy  then  how  great  was 
Fulton's  anxiety  when  he  found  that  the  boat  would 
cost  more  than  he  had  surmised.  It  is  said  that 
when  one  thousand  dollars  were  needed  to  pay  the 
men,  Fulton  vainly  spent  an  entire  evening  trying 
to  persuade  an  intimate  friend  to  lend  the  money. 
Nothing  daunted,  he  renewed  his  entreaties  the 
following  day,  and  finally  the  friend  reluctantly 
promised  a  hundred  dollars  if  Fulton  could  persuade 
nine  others  to  subscribe  the  same  sum.  This  he 
did  by  promising  the  subscribers  that  their  names 
should  be  kept  secret,   as  they  feared  ridicule. 

The  lack  of  money  was  exasperating  when 
Fulton  felt  so  sure  of  his  plan,  but  not  an  angry  or 
fretful  word  escaped  him;  and  when  work  went 
wrong,  as  it  sometimes  did,  he  commenced  again 
with  the  same  ardor  and  calmness.  Hot  weather 
came  on  and  still  Fulton  worked  hard  at  the  yards, 


o 


00 


o 

a 

0) 

> 
.S 


C/2 


BUILDING  THE  CLERMONT  135 

superintending  every  detail;  he  must  often  have 
been  exhausted,  says  Golden,  his  biographer,  but 
he  never  complained.  He  showed  himself  a  moral 
as  well  as  a  mechanical  philosopher. 

We  always  think  of  Fulton's  steamboat  as  voyag- 
ing first  upon  the  waters  of  the  Hudson;  it  is 
interesting  therefore  to  learn  from  a  letter  Fulton 
wrote  to  Chancellor  Livingston,  that  the  boat  was 
launched  in  the  East  River,  and  there  made  a'"^ 
successful  trial- trip  on  the  9th  of  August,  1807, 
exactly  four  years  after  Fulton's  demonstration  of 
his  French  boat  on  the  river  Seine.  He  probably 
chose  the  date  in  remembrance  of  that  never-to-be- 
forgotten  triumph. 

The  Chancellor  was  spending  the  summer  at 
Clermont,  his  famous  country  estate  on  the  Hudson 
River  at  Tivoli,  a  short  distance  below  the  city  of 
Hudson.  His  delight  must  have  been  great  when 
he  received  the  following  letter  from  his  energetic 
partner.  I  quote  it  in  full  because  of  its  special 
interest  in  showing  how  fully  Fulton  tested  his  new 
craft  and  how  personal  was  his  care  and  exercise  of 
her  movements : 

New  York,  Monday  the  loth  August,  1807. 
Dear  Sir  : 

Yesterday  about  12  o'clock  I  put  the  steamboat  in  motion, 
first  with  a  paddle  8  inches  broad  3  feet  long  with  which  I 


<» 

^'^ 


136  ROBERT  FULTON 

ran  about  one  mile  up  the  East  River  against  a  tide  of  almost 
one  mile  an  hour,  it  being  nearly  high  water.  I  then  an- 
chored and  put  in  another  paddle  8  inches  wide  3  feet  long, 
started  again  and  then  according  to  my  best  observations  I 
went  3  miles  an  hour,  that  is  two  against  a  tide  of  one; 
another  board  of  8  inches  was  wanting  which  had  not  been 
prepared.  I  therefore  tuxned  the  boat  and  run  down  with 
the  tide  of  one  mile,  boat  3,  equal  four,  and  turned  her  round 
neatly  into  the  berth  from  which  I  parted.  She  answers  the 
helm  equal  to  anything  that  ever  was  built  And  I  turned  her 
twice  in  three  times  her  own  length. 
»f<w.  Much  has  been  proved  by  this  experiment ;  First,  that 
she  will  when  in  complete  order  run  up  to  my  full  calcula- 
tions ;  Second,  that  my  axles  I  believe  will  be  sufficiently 
strong  to  run  the  engine  to  her  full  power ;  Third,  that  she 
steers  well  and  can  be  turned  with  ease.  The  sum  of  the 
surfaces  of  the  paddles  were  8  feet,  the  Bow  of  the  boat  9. 
My  paddle  boards  should  have  been  equal  12  feet  which  I 
was  afraid  to  put  on  at  first ;  they  are  now  making. 

The  engine  having  worked  for  the  first  time  requires  over- 
hauling and  new  packing.  The  cold-water  pump  for  con- 
densing is  7  inches  and  a  two  foot  stroke  yet  does  not  fur- 
nish sufficient  cold  water  for  complete  condensation  and 
vacuum.  I  am  about  making  it  10  inches  diameter ;  these 
connections  with  the  finishing  of  the  cabins  will  take  me  the 
entire  week  and  I  shall  start  on  Monday  next  at  4  miles 
an  hour. 

Yesterday  I  beat  all  the  sloops  that  were  endeavoring  to 
stem  tide  with  the  slight  breeze  which  they  had;  had  I 
hoisted  my  sails  I  consequently  should  have  had  all  their 
means  added  to  my  own. 

Whatever  may  be  the  fate  of  steamboats  for  the  Hudson 


BUILDING  THE  CLERMONT  137 

every  thing  is  completely  proved  for  the  Mississippi,  and 

the  object  is  immense.    Please  to  forward  me  1000  or  1500 

dollars  as  soon  as  possible. 

Yours  truly, 

R.  Fulton. 
Best  respects  to  Mrs.  Livingston. 
Addressed  to  Robt.  R.  Livingston,  Esqr. 

Clermont, 

New  York. 

Money  was  again  needed,  you  see,  but  we  may 
be  sure  it  was  forthcoming  with  this  proof  of  the 
success  of  the  great  project.  For  the  trial- trip, 
although  it  made  necessary  some  slight  alterations, 
removed  all  doubt  as  to  its  power.  During  the 
week  the  boat  was  moved  to  its  new  dock  on  the 
North,  or  Hudson  River,  and  the  carpenters  were 
set  at  work  to  finish  the  cabins  and  make  the  boat 
ready  for  her  first  official  voyage  up  the  Hudson. 
Fulton  promised  the  Chancellor  that  it  should  take 
place  "on  Monday  next,"  —  that  was  August 
17th,  —  so  Fulton's  partner  and  several  members 
of  his  family  journeyed  to  New  York,  by  sloop  or 
stage-coach,  to  take  the  historic  trip. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

First  Voyage  of  the  Clermont 

The  eventful  day,  the  17th  of  August,  1807, 
dawned  with  blue,  unclouded  skies.  There  was  a 
buzz  of  excitement  throughout  the  morning  as  the 
guests,  about  forty  in  number,  assembled  at  the  dock 
near  the  old  States  Prison,  in  Greenwich  Village. 

Miss  Helen  Livingston,  a  young  lady  who  was 
present,  had  written  her  mother,  ^*  Cousin  Chan- 
cellor has  a  wonderful  new  boat  which  is  to  make 
the  voyage  up  the  Hudson  some  day  soon.  It  will 
hold  a  good  many  passengers  and  he  has,  with  his 
usual  kindness,  invited  us  to  be  of  the  party.  He 
says  it  will  be  something  to  remember  all  our  lives. 
He  says  we  need  not  trouble  ourselves  about  provi- 
sions, as  his  men  will  see  to  all  that." 

She  with  her  sister,  Kate  Livingston,  made  the 
famous  trip  and  many  years  later  told  its  story  to 
her  granddaughter,  Helen  Evertsen  Smith,  who 
wrote  it  out.  *' Cousin  Chancellor"  predicted  the 
truth  when  he  said  it  would  be  something  to  re- 
member all  their  lives !    There  were  several  ladies 

138 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CLERMONT       139 

in  the  party,  as  well  as  the  Dean  of  Ripon  Cathedral, 
England,  John  R.  Livingston,  and  other  persons 
of  distinction.  Some  were  incredulous  and  all 
were  slightly  uneasy.  Fulton  himself  has  thus 
described  the  exciting  time: 

The  moment  arrived  in  which  the  word  was  to  be  given 
for  the  boat  to  move.  My  friends  were  in  groups  on  the 
deck.  There  was  anxiety  mixed  with  fear  among  them. 
They  were  silent,  sad  and  weary.  I  read  in  their  looks 
nothing  but  disaster  and  almost  repented  of  my  efforts. 
The  signal  was  given  and  the  boat  moved  on  a  short  dis- 
tance and  then  stopped  and  became  immovable.  To  the 
silence  of  the  preceding  moment,  now  succeeded  murmurs  of 
discontent  and  agitation,  and  whispers  and  shrugs.  I  could 
hear  distinctly  repeated  'I  told  you  so ;  it  is  a  foolish  scheme : 
I  wish  we  were  well  out  of  it.' 

I  elevated  myself  upon  a  platform  and  addressed  the 
assembly.  I  stated  that  I  knew  not  what  was  the  matter, 
but  if  they  would  be  quiet  and  indulge  me  for  half  an  hour 
I  would  either  go  on  or  abandon  the  voyage  for  that  time. 
This  short  respite  was  conceded  without  objection.  I  went 
below  and  examined  the  machinery  and  discovered  that  the 
cause  was  a  slight  maladjustment  of  some  of  the  work.  In  a 
short  time  it  was  obviated.  The  boat  was  again  put  in 
motion-  She  continued  to  move  on.  All  were  still  in- 
credulous :  none  seemed  willing  to  trust  the  evidence  of  their 
own  senses.  We  left  the  fair  city  of  New  York :  we  passed 
through  the  romantic  and  ever-varying  scenery  of  the  High- 
lands ;  —  we  descried  the  clustering  houses  of  Albany :  we 
reached  its  shores,  —  and  then,  even  then,  when  all  seemed 
achieved,  I  was  the  victim  of  disappointment. 


140  ROBERT  FULTON 

Imagination  superseded  the  influence  of  fact.  It  was 
then  doubted  if  it  could  be  done  again,  or  if  done  if  it  could 
be  made  of  any  great  value. 

We  must  not  imagine  that  the  boat  was  as  perfect 
as  the  modern  steamboats  of  to-day.  Far  from  it ! 
She  was  a  strange  looking  vessel;  the  uncovered 
machinery  occupied  the  center  and  groaned  and 
creaked  from  time  to  time.  The  huge  paddle- 
wheels  splashed  in  and  out  of  the  water,  casting 
spray  on  the  decks  and  high  in  the  air.  The  rear 
cabin  was  set  aside  for  the  use  of  the  ladies,  — 
the  forward  cabin  for  the  men.  There  were  two 
tall  masts,  provided  with  sails  in  case  of  need.  A 
rude  compass  on  deck  guided  the  pilot  in  steering 
the  boat.  All  together  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  the  odd-looking  boat,  spitting  forth  steam 
and  splashing  water  at  both  sides,  excited  the  lively 
interest  of  all  who  could  see  the  vessel  from  both 
shores  of  the  river. 

It  is  said  that  the  boat  had  not  long  been  under 
way  when  Fulton  caused  it  to  be  stopped  because 
he  saw  a  way  of  improving  the  paddles.  He 
lessened  their  diameter,  so  the  buckets  took  less 
hold  of  the  water,  for  certainly  they  splashed  too 
much.  When  the  boat  started  again  it  was  found 
that  the  alteration  had  increased  her  speed.  It  is 
said  that  her  first  performance  exceeded  the  expec- 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF    THE  CLERMONT       141 

tation  of  the  passengers  on  board,  and  none  but 
Fulton  thought  that  she  could  be  improved. 

But  after  this  adjustment  there  was  no  further 
trouble.  The  wheels  went  around  with  regular 
stroke  as  the  boat  advanced  steadily  up  the  river 
and  convinced  the  skeptical  that  Fulton  had  ful- 
filled his  promise. 

One  of  the  newspapers,  the  American  Citizen j 
printed  this  notice  that  morning : 

''Mr.  Fulton's  ingenious  steamboat,  invented 
with  a  view  to  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  X,^'^ 
from  New  Orleans  upward,  sails  to-day  from  the 
North  River,  near  States  Prison,  to  Albany.  The 
velocity  is  calculated  at  four  miles  an  hour.  It  is 
said  it  will  make  a  progress  of  two  against  the  ^_^ 
current  of  the  Mississippi  and  if  so  it  will  certainly 
be  a  very  valuable  acquisition  to  the  commerce  of 
Western  states." 

This  news,  together  with  the  popular  interest 
aroused  near  the  dockyards,  brought  a  crowd  of 
people  to  the  shores.  During  the  setting-forth 
from  the  dock,  the  jeers  of  many  could  be  plainly 
heard.  As  the  paddles  began  to  turn  and  the  boat 
swung  about  to  position  and  headed  up  stream, 
the  faces  of  the  doubters  changed  as  though  by 
magic.  Fulton^ s  Folly  was  not  merely  afloat,  it  was 
moving  with  majesty  and  with  assurance.    The 


142  ROBERT  FULTON 

scoffs  subsided,  exclamations  of  wonder  took  their 
place;  then,  as  the  triumph  of  the  experiment 
became  evident,  a  cheer  arose  from  the  shore.  It 
was  echoed  and  repeated  until  the  entire  crowd 
acknowledged  its  mistake  in  a  wild  tumult  of 
cheers,  —  the  first  public  acclaim  to  greet  the  new 
invention. 

From  Helen  Livingston's  letter  we  know  that 
refreshments  were  provided  for  the  party;  and 
there  were  couches  in  the  cabins  upon  which  the 
guests  could  sleep  at  night,  for  the  voyage  to 
Albany  took  thirty-two  hours  instead  of  nine,  as 
at  the  present  day. 

The  boat  splashed  on  its  way,  looking  it  is  said 
''like  a  backwoods  saw-mill  mounted  on  a  scow  and 
set  on  fire."  Wood  w^as  used  for  fuel  and  when 
the  fireman  stirred  the  flames  they  shot  high  in  the 
air,  throwing  out  a  multitude  of  sparks  as  well, 
which  must  have  looked  terrifying  enough  to  the 
people  on  shore,  especially  in  the  darkness  of  the 
night.  The  sailors  on  the  river  sloops  were  amazed 
as  they  saw  this  queer  boat  gaining  upon  them, 
while  some  of  the  more  timid  actually  ran  their 
boats  to  shore  and  took  to  the  woods  in  fright. 
Others  gathered  on  the  river  bank  and  prayed  for 
protection  against  this  ''monster"  made  by  man. 
All  were  spellbound  with  astonishment  and  passed 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CLERMONT      143 

the  word  from  one  to  another,  so  that  the  dwellers 
from  all  the  houses  near  shore  ran  forth  to  view 
the  strange  craft. 

After  the  first  fear  had  passed,  happiness  pre- 
vailed on  board.  The  quiet  ease  of  Fulton's  and 
Livingston's  manner,  as  they  moved  about  among 
their  guests,  restored  peace  of  mind.  By  night, 
when  filmy  shadows  fell  over  the  mountain  tops 
and  the  setting  sun  touched  the  waters  with  gold, 
the  guests  were  thrilled  with  delight.  The  presence 
of  the  ladies  added  a  touch  of  beauty  to  the  strange- 
looking  vessel,  and  as  they  proceeded  through  the 
picturesque  Highlands,  the  party  sang  the  melodies 
of  the  day.  The  Scotch  ballad  said  to  have  been 
a  favorite  of  Fulton's  rang  out : 

"Ye  banks  and  braes  o'  Bonny  Doon, 
How  can  ye  bloom  sae  fresh  and  fair  ? 
How  can  ye  chant,  ye  Httle  birds, 
And  I  sae  weary  fu'  o'  care?" 

But  Fulton's  care,  for  the  time,  had  sped  away. 
He  was  surrounded  by  friends  whose  compliments 
upon  his  success  must  have  been  both  welcome 
and  pleasant.  Helen  Livingston's  granddaughter 
writes:  '^ There  were  many  distinguished  and 
fine-looking  men  on  board  the  Clermont,  but  my 
grandmother  always  described  Robert  Fulton  as 
surpassing  them  all.     ^That  son  of  a  Pennsylvania 


144  ROBERT  FULTON 

farmer,'  she  was  wont  to  say,  'was  really  a  prince 
among  men.  He  was  as  modest  as  he  was  great 
and  as  handsome  as  he  was  modest.  His  eyes 
were  glorious  with  love  and  genius. ' " 

A  great  personal  happiness  filled  Fulton's  thought, 
beyond  that  of  his  success  in  the  invention,  for  on 
the  second  day  of  the  voyage,  as  the  boat  was  about 
to  cast  anchor  at  the  Clermont  dock  of  the  Chan- 
cellor, the  latter,  as  a  crowning  touch  of  romance  to 
the  triumph  of  the  voyage,  announced  the  be- 
trothal of  his  fair  young  cousin.  Miss  Harriet 
\y  Livingston,  to  the  inventor.  In  easy,  graceful 
words  he  added  that  the  name  of  Robert  Fulton 
would  descend  to  posterity  as  a  benefactor  to  the 
world,  for  it  was  not  impossible  that,  before  the 
end  of  the  century,  vessels  propelled  by  steam  alone 
might  make  the  voyage  to  Europe!  The  guests 
were  too  polite  to  laugh  at  this  suggestion  in  the 
presence  of  the  Chancellor  and  the  inventor  but, 
after  several  of  the  company  had  indulged  in  hidden 
smiles,  John  R.  Livingston  whispered  to  his  cou- 
sin, "Bob  has  had  many  a  bee  in  his  bonnet  before 
now,  but  this  steam  folly  will  prove  the  worst  yet ! " 
It  has  been  reported  that  the  consent  of  the 
Livingston  family  had  been  withheld  from  Fulton's 
engagement  until  he  could  prove  his  invention  a 
success.    He  had  asked  the  Chancellor  if  he  might 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CLERMONT      145 

aspire  to  the  hand  of  his  fair  cousin  and  had  received 
the  reply:  "Her  father  may  object  .  .  .  but  if 
Harriet  does  not  object,  —  and  she  seems  to  have 
a  world  of  good  sense,  —  go  ahead,  and  my  best 
wishes  and  blessings  go  with  you." 

In  the  light  of  later  events,  it  is  hard  to  see  why 
any  objection  could  have  been  raised.  Fulton, 
then  forty-two  years  old,  had  made  his  way  against 
great  odds,  and  was  a  prominent  man  on  both  sides 
of  the  Atlantic.  Harriet  Livingston,  a  guest  of  honor 
on  the  historic  trip  up  the  Hudson,  was  the  daughter 
of  the  Hon.  Walter  Livingston,  Commissioner  of 
the  United  States  Treasury.  The  bride-elect  had 
inherited  beauty  and  talent.  She  played  upon 
the  harp  and  also  sketched  in  pencil  with  delicacy 
and  skill,  an  accomplishment  which  naturally 
appealed  to  Fulton's  artistic  taste. 

Her  father,  Walter  Livingston,  son  of  the  last 
Lord  of  the  Manor  of  Livingston,  had  inherited  as 
his  share  of  the  vast  grant  of  land  of  1715,  which 
comprised  over  160,000  acres,  a  tract  of  28,000 
acres,  which  he  named  "Tiviotdale."  Upon  this 
great  estate  he  had  built  an  imposing  mansion  to 
v/hich  in  later  years  Fulton  and  his  wife  paid  many 
visits. 

The  party  left  the  boat  at  Clermont,  while 
Fulton  and  the  Chancellor,  after  spending  the  night 


146  ROBERT  FULTON 

at  the  latter's  hospitable  home,  continued  the 
journey  to  Albany,  arriving  there  at  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  When  the  voyage  to  New  York 
was  made,  Fulton  set  about  improving  his  boat 
that  she  might  be  more  comfortable  for  the  many 
passengers  he  hoped  to  carry  up  and  down  the 
river.    He  wrote  to  Barlow,  as  follows : 

*'My  steamboat  voyage  to  Albany  and  back  has 
turned  out  rather  more  favorably  than  I  had  cal- 
culated. The  distance  from  New  York  to  Albany 
is  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  I  ran  it  up  in 
thirty-two  hours  and  down  in  thirty.  I  had  a  light 
breeze  against  me  the  whole  way,  both  going  and 
coming,  and  the  voyage  has  been  performed  wholly 
by  the  power  of  the  steam  engine.  I  overtook 
many  sloops  and  schooners  beating  to  the  windward 
and  parted  with  them  as  if  they  had  been  at  anchor. 
The  power  of  propelling  boats  by  steam  is  now  fully 
proved.  The  morning  I  left  New  York  there  were 
not  perhaps  thirty  persons  in  the  city  who  believed 
that  the  boat  would  ever  move  one  mile  an  hour,  or 
be  of  the  least  utility,  and  while  we  were  putting 
off  from  the  wharf,  which  was  crowded  with  specta- 
tors, I  heard  a  number  of  sarcastic  remarks.  This 
is  the  way  in  which  ignorant  men  compliment 
what  they  call  philosophers  and  projectors.  Hav- 
ing employed   much    time,   money  and  zeal   in 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CLERMONT     147 

accomplishing  this  work,  it  gives  me,  as  it  will  you, 
great  pleasure  to  see  it  fully  answer  my  expecta- 
tions. It  will  give  a  cheap  and  quick  conveyance 
to  the  merchandise  on  the  Mississippi,  Missouri  and 
other  great  rivers,  which  are  now  laying  open  their 
treasures  to  the  enterprise  of  our  countrymen ;  and 
although  the  prospect  of  personal  emolument  has 
been  some  inducement  to  me,  yet  I  feel  infinitely 
more  pleasure  in  reflecting  on  the  immense  advan- 
tage my  country  will  derive  from  the  invention/* 

And  so  was  Fulton's  Folly  changed  to  Fulton's 
Triumph!  There  are  several  accounts  of  the 
return  voyage,  notably  one  written  by  a  Frenchman, 
Monsieur  Michaux,  a  distinguished  botanist,  who 
happened  to  be  in  Albany  at  the  opportune  time 
when  Fulton's  boat  was  about  to  make  its  return 
voyage  down  the  Hudson.  He  with  his  companion, 
a  man  named  Parmentier,  had  been  three  days  in 
the  capital  city  when  they  read  in  the  paper  about 
the  arrival  of  a  *' steam  boat"  from  New  York, 
commanded  by  the  inventor,  Robert  Fulton. 
Crowds  of  people  were  flocking  to  the  dock  to  see 
the  strange  craft.  Some  admitted  that  a  great 
advantage  might  be  gained  by  the  novel  method 
of  transportation,  although  many  persons  predicted 
that  the  boiler  would  explode  and  cause  serious 
accidents. 


■:0« 


148  ROBERT  FULTON 

A  sign  hung  upon  the  side  of  the  boat  announced 
that  it  would  start  for  New  York  on  Wednesday, 
August  20th,  and  would  carry  passengers  at  the 
same  price  charged  by  sailing-masters  on  their 
sloops,  seven  dollars. 

The  two  Frenchmen  decided  to  try  the  experi- 
ment. They  were  alone  in  their  decision,  all  other 
travelers  preferring  to  go  by  the  old  *'slow  and 
sure"  way.  The  boat  set  off  in  sight  of  a  crowd  of 
spectators  which  had  gathered  at  the  dock.  The 
smoke  from  the  engine  could  be  seen  for  some  dis- 
tance throwing  a  black  column  to  the  sky,  and  many 
persons  gathered  on  near-by  hillsides  to  wave  their 
handkerchiefs  and  hurrah  for  Fulton  whom  they 
noticed  in  command  when  the  boat  came  up  the 
river. 

Monsieur  Michaux  said  that  when  they  paid  Mr. 
Fulton  their  fare,  before  they  left  the  boat,  he  com- 
mented on  the  courage  of  two  Frenchmen  to  em- 
bark when  so  many  of  his  countrymen  declined  to 
try  the  experiment.  It  is  interesting  to  remember 
that  Fulton  carried  passengers  from  both  France 
and  England,  the  two  countries  where  his  prelim- 
inary attempts  had  been  worked  out;  for  an 
Englishman,  probably  the  Dean  of  Ripon  Cathedral, 
who  is  known  to  have  been  a  guest  of  the  Chan- 
cellor on  the  first  trip  of  the  Clermont,  wrote  a 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CLERMONT      149 

letter  which  was  printed  in  the  Naval  Chronicle^  for 
1808,  Vol.  XrX,  page  188  : 

"I  have  now  the  pleasure  to  state  to  you  the 
particulars  of  a  late  excursion  to  Albany  in  the 
steamboat,  made  and  completed  under  the  direc- 
tions of  the  Hon.  Robert  R.  Livingston  and  Mr. 
Fulton,  together  with  my  remarks  thereon.  On 
the  morning  of  the  19th  of  August  Edward  P. 
Li\dngston,  Esq.  and  myself  were  honoured  with 
an  invitation  from  the  Chancellor  and  Mr.  Fulton 
to  proceed  with  them  to  Albany,  in  tr}dng  the  first 
experiment  up  the  river  Hudson,  in  the  steamboat. 
She  was  then  lying  off  Clermont,  the  country  seat 
of  the  Chancellor,  where  she  had  arrived  in  twenty- 
four  hours  from  New  York,  being  no  miles. 
Precisely  at  thirteen  minutes  past  nine  o'clock 
A.M.  the  engine  was  put  in  motion,  when  we  made  a 
head  against  the  ebb  tide  and  the  head  wind  blow- 
ing a  pleasant  breeze.  We  continued  our  course 
for  about  eight  miles,  when  we  took  the  flood,  the 
wind  still  ahead.  We  arrived  at  Albany  about  five 
o'clock  P.M.  being  a  distance  from  Clermont  of 
forty-five  miles,  (as  agreed  by  those  best  acquainted 
with  the  river)  which  was  performed  in  eight  hours, 
without  any  accident  or  interruption  w^hatever. 
This  decidedly  gave  the  boat  upwards  of  five  miles 
an  hour,  the  tide  sometimes  against  us,  neither  the 


150  ROBERT  FULTON 

sails  nor  any  implement  but  the  steam  used.  The 
next  morning  we  left  Albany  at  twenty-five  minutes 
past  nine  and  arrived  at  Clermont  in  nine  hours 
precisely,  which  gave  us  five  miles  an  hour.  The 
current  on  returning  was  stronger  than  when 
going  up.  After  landing  us  at  Clermont,  Mr. 
Fulton  proceeded  with  the  passengers  to  New  York. 
The  excursion  to  Albany  was  very  pleasant  and 
presented  a  most  interesting  spectacle.  As  we 
passed  the  farms  on  the  borders  of  the  river,  every 
eye  was  intent,  and  from  village  to  village  the 
heights  and  conspicuous  places  were  occupied  by 
the  sentinels  of  curiosity,  not  viewing  a  thing  they 
could  possibly  anticipate  any  idea  of,  but  conjec- 
turing about  the  possibility  of  the  motion.  As  we 
passed  and  repassed  the  towns  of  Athens  and  Hud- 
son we  were  politely  saluted  by  the  inhabitants 
and  by  several  vessels,  and  at  Albany  we  were 
visited  by  his  Excellency,  the  Governor,  and  many 
citizens.  She  is  unquestionably  the  most  pleasant 
boat  I  ever  went  in.  In  her  the  mind  is  free  from 
suspense.  Perpetual  motion  authorizes  you  to 
calculate  on  a  certain  time  to  land;  her  works 
move  with  all  the  facility  of  a  clock ;  and  the  noise 
when  on  board  is  not  greater  than  that  of  a  vessel 
sailing  with  a  good  breeze." 
And  so  the  journey  to  Albany  and  back  was 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CLERMONT      151 

complete,  the  triumph  assured.  That  tiny  steam- 
boat, with  splashing  side-paddles,  had  been  acknowl- 
edged a  safe  transport.  With  great  pleasure  the 
captain,  Andrew  Brink  by  name,  who  certainly 
knew  more  of  navigation  than  of  spelling  French 
names,  wrote  in  his  note-book: 

List  of  passengers  on  board  the  North  River  Steamboat 
from  Albany  to  New  York,  August  21,  1807  • 

Dollars 
Captain  Thomas  Hunt  7 

Monsieur  Parmentoo 

Monsieur  Mishaud  13 

Mr.  E.  D.  Tyle  6 

Captain  Davies  i 

27 

Mr.  Fulton 

Captain  Brink  had  previously  had  command  of 
the  river  sloop  Maria.  When  Fulton  and  Living- 
ston journeyed  on  his  sloop  to  Clermont  they  dis- 
cussed the  plan  for  the  steamboat,  and  finding 
Brink  intelligent  and  interested,  they  promised 
to  employ  him  upon  the  new  ship.  On  September 
20th,  1807,  Fulton  entered  his  month's  pay-roll 
in  his  account  book : 


To  Captain  Brink 

30  dollars 

George,  the  Steward 

10     " 

Paid  GriflBin,  the  Black  Steward, 

12     " 

Paid  Richard  Wilson,  the  Black  Cook, 

10     " 

1S2  ROBERT  FULTON  : 

Captain  Brink  lived  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Hudson,  opposite  Clermont.  After  he  had  landed 
his  passengers  at  the  Chancellor's  dock,  on  the 
voyage  up  the  river,  he  borrowed  a  rowboat, 
crossed  the  river,  and  brought  his  wife  back  to  take 
the  remainder  of  the  trip,  for  he  had  promised  "to 
take  her  to  Albany  on  the  boat  driven  by  a  tea- 
kettle." 

The  chief  engineer  was  a  Scotchman  who  had  to 
be  discharged,  for  at  Albany  he  went  ashore  and 
indulged  too  freely  in  drink  as  a  celebration  of  the 
successful  voyage.  Fulton  promoted  Charles 
Dyke,  assistant  engineer,  to  his  place,  and  he  did 
so  well  that  he  remained  for  many  years  in  Fulton's 
employ,  and  in  time  became  chief  engineer  of  the 
first  ferry-boat  used  at  Fulton  Ferry. 

So  Fulton  proved  himself  not  merely  a  master 
of  mechanics,  but  also  of  management  and  adminis- 
tration of  the  new  method  of  travel.  He  not  only 
began  well  but  continued  wisely. 

After  Fulton  reached  New  York  he  took  time  to 
write  a  letter  to  the  one  newspaper,  the  American 
Citizen,  which  had  noted  the  departure  of  his  boat. 
It  was  well  that  he  did  so,  for  this  furnishes  an 
historical  record  of  the  achievement.  It  is  a  simple 
and  straightforward  account  of  the  voyage,  with  no 
extravagant  predictions  as  to  the  future. 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CLERMONT      153 

New  York,  August  20th,  1807. 
To  THE  Editor  of  the  American  Citizen, 

Sir; 

I  arrived  this  afternoon  at  4  o'clock  on  the  steamboat 
from  Albany.  As  the  success  of  my  experiment  gives  me 
great  hope  that  such  boats  may  be  rendered  of  much  im- 
portance to  my  country,  to  prevent  erroneous  opinions  and 
to  give  some  satisfaction  to  the  friends  of  useful  improve- 
ments, you  will  have  the  goodness  to  publish  the  following 
statement  of  facts : 

I  left  New  York  on  Monday  at  i  o'clock  and  arrived  at 
Clermont,  the  seat  of  Chancellor  Livingston,  at  i  o'clock  on 
Tuesday,  time  24  hours,  distance  no  miles :  On  Wednesday 
I  departed  from  the  Chancellor's  at  9  in  the  morning  and 
arrived  at  Albany  at  5  in  the  afternoon,  distance  40  miles, 
time  8  hours:  the  sum  of  this  is  150  miles  in  32  hours, 
equal  near  5  miles  an  hour. 

On  Thiursday  at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  left  Albany 
and  arrived  at  the  Chancellor's  at  6  in  the  evening:  I 
started  from  thence  at  7,  and  arrived  at  New  York  on 
Friday  at  4  in  the  afternoon;  time  30  hours,  space  run 
through,  150  miles,  equal  5  miles  an  hour.  Throughout 
the  whole  way  my  going  and  returning  the  wind  was  ahead ; 
no  advantage  could  be  drawn  from  my  sails — the  whole  has 
therefore  been  performed  by  the  power  of  the  steam  engine. 
I  am,  Sir, 

Your  Most  Obedient, 

Robert  Fulton. 

Friends  were  ready  enough  now  to  congratulate 
the  inventor  upon  his  success,  but  he  had  scant 


154 


ROBERT  FULTON 


time  to  listen,  for  his  first  accomplishment  made 
further  work  necessary.  He  plunged  at  once  into 
hard  work  for  the  development  of  his  plan  which 
included  steam  navigation  for  the  inland  waters  of 
America. 


BejfTOduced  through  the  courtesy  of  The  Century  Co. 
Fulton's  Inkstand 


CHAPTER  XV 

Steamboats  and  Submarines 

Now  that  Fulton  had  attained  his  heart's  desire, 
—  the  great  plan  for  steam  navigation,  —  there 
was  no  time  to  rest  upon  his  laurels.  One  success 
is  but  a  key  to  future  opportunity.  He  reasoned 
well  that  the  Hudson  had  provided  only  the  opening 
chapter,  as  it  were,  to  a  great  volvune  of  possible 
attainments.  Every  river  in  the  world  offered  an 
equal  avenue  for  the  march  of  progress  in  trans- 
portation. 

That  first  voyage  of  the  Clermont  revealed  many 
slight  imperfections  which  Fulton's  fertile  brain  im- 
mediately remedied  in  imagination.  He  laid  the 
vessel  up  in  dock  at  New  York  for  two  weeks  that 
he  might  add  to  her  equipment  and  improve  the 
conditions  on  board  for  the  comfort  of  the  passen- 
gers. He  boarded  the  sides,  decked  over  the 
boiler,  furnished  each  cabin,  fore  and  aft,  with 
twelve  berths,  and  strengthened  the  ironwork  in 
many  parts.  He  also  had  the  boat  thoroughly 
calked,  and  as  much  rain  fell  during  the  time,  the 

155 


156  ROBERT  FULTON 

work  was  delayed.  Fulton  described  these  im- 
provements in  a  letter  to  the  Chancellor,  and  joy- 
ously wrote,  "The  boat  will  be  as  complete  as  she 
can  be  made  —  all  strong  and  in  good  order  and  the 
men  well  organized ;  and  I  hope  nothing  to  do  but 
to  run  her  for  six  weeks  or  two  months,  —  I  will 
have  her  registered  and  everything  done  which  I 
can  recollect.  Everything  looks  well  and  I  have 
no  doubt  will  be  very  productive." 

On  September  2d,  Fulton  advertised  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Post  as  follows:  "The  North  River 
Steam  Boat  Will  leave  Pauler's  Hook  on  Friday, 
the  4th  of  September,  at  6  in  the  morning,  and 
.  /  arrive  at  Albany,  on  Saturday,  at  6  in  the  after- 
noon. Provisions,  good  berths,  and  accommoda- 
tions are  provided." 

An  announcement  of  rates  followed;  three 
dollars  to  Newburgh,  and  seven  to  Albany,  with 
suitable  prices  for  intermediate  stations;  the  rate 
of  travel  was  fourteen  hours  to  Newburgh  and 
thirty-six  to  Albany.  It  was  stated  that  the  boat 
would  leave  Albany  twice  and  New  York  once 
during  the  succeeding  week,  after  which  further 
schedules  would  be  pubHshed. 

This  time-table  was  duly  carried  out;  bright 
and  early,  at  half  past  six,  on  a  clear  September 
morning,  the  fourteen  passengers  brave  enough  to 


./ 


STEAMBOATS  AND  SUBMARINES         157 

venture  started  on  their  northward  trip.  When 
they  arrived,  they  found  Fulton  already  on  board, 
his  actions  confident  and  decided,  unheeding  the 
fear  of  some  and  the  sarcasm  of  others.  His  clear 
tones  could  be  heard  above  the  hum  of  the  voices 
of  the  multitude  —  which  had  gathered  to  watch 
the  departure  —  and  the  noise  made  by  the  escap- 
ing steam  which  leaked  from  several  valves.  So 
we  learn  from  Judge  John  Q.  Wilson,  of  Albany,  one 
of  the  fourteen  who  dared  to  make  the  voyage 
though  warned  by  a  prudent  Quaker  friend :  *' Wilt 
thou  risk  thy  life  in  such  a  concern?  I  tell  thee 
she  is  the  most  fearful  wild  fowl  living  and  thy 
father  ought  to  restrain  thee." 

But  though  a  predicted  failure,  the  voyage 
proved  so  pleasant  an  experience  that  the  passen- 
gers drew  up  a  statement  to  record  their  satisfac- 
tion. Gerrit  H.  Van  Wagenen  served  as  time- 
keeper and  Judge  Wilson  drafted  the  testimonial 
which,  signed  by  the  entire  company,  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Albany  Register  of  September  8th. 

From  Verplanck's  Point  to  Wappinger's  Creek 
the  wind  was  favorable  but  light :  after  that  it  was 
ahead  or  calm,  yet  they  made  the  full  distance  of 
150  miles  in  28  hours  and  45  minutes.  Judge 
Wilson  wrote:  ^'The  subscribers,  passengers  on 
board  of  this  boat  on  her  first  passage  as  a  packet, 


158  ROBERT  FULTON 

think  it  but  justice  to  state  that  the  accommoda- 
tions and  conveniences  on  board  exceeded  their 
most  sanguine  expectations." 

They  had  an  amusing  experience  at  Haverstraw 
Bay.  As  the  boat  steamed  along,  a  man  in  a  skiff 
lay  in  wait.  His  appearance  showed  him  to  be  a 
miller,  for  his  hair  and  clothing  were  covered  with 
flour.  He  had  evidently  dashed  forth  from  his 
mill  on  the  riverside  when  he  saw  the  queer  boat 
approaching,  had  boarded  his  skiff  and  rowed  out 
into  the  stream  for  a  conversation  with  the  cap-' 
tain.  He  signaled  that  he  would  like  to  come  on 
board,  so  Fulton  ordered  that  a  rope  be  thrown  him 
to  draw  his  skiff  alongside  the  Clermont.  He  called 
out  that  he  "did  not  know  a  mill  could  go  up- 
stream, so  he  came  to  enquire  about  it."  One  of 
the  passengers,  Dennis  Doyle,  an  Irishman  who 
loved  a  good  joke,  offered  to  guide  him  all  over 
'*the  mill."  The  miller  climbed  on  board,  and 
Dennis  showed  him  all  the  wheels  and  machinery 
and  told  him  in  fun  that  by  a  simple  contrivance 
one  wheel  could  be  thrown  out  of  gear  when  the 
mill  was  to  go  up-stream.  "But  show  me  the 
grindstones,"  said  the  miller.  Dennis  kept  a 
straight  face  and  pointing  to  Fulton  answered, 
"That  is  a  secret  which  the  master  has  not  yet 
told  us :  when  we  come  back  from  Albany  with  our 


STEAMBOATS  AND   SUBMARINES         159 

load  of  corn,  if  you  come  on  board  then,  you  will 
see  the  meal  fly."  The  simple-minded  miller 
rowed  back  to  the  shore,  wondering  whether  he 
could  really  move  his  own  mill  up-stream  in  the 
same  fashion. 

At  West  Point  the  whole  garrison  was  on  the 
river  bank  to  cheer  the  boat,  while  at  Newburgh  it 
seemed  as  though  the  entire  population  of  Orange 
County  had  assembled;  the  hillside  city  was  all 
alert.  The  ferry,  a  sail-boat  from  Fishkill,  was 
crowded  by  a  party  of  ladies,  and  the  captain 
tacked  close  to  the  steamboat,  which  had  just 
landed  a  passenger  at  the  dock.  The  flapping  of 
the  near-by  sail  attracted  Fulton's  attention  and 
he  raised  his  eyes  to  meet  a  flutter  of  handker- 
chiefs and  a  group  of  smiling,  happy  faces.  He 
hurriedly  raised  his  hat  in  acknowledgment  as  he 
gallantly  exclaimed,  ^'That  is  the  finest  sight  we 
have  seen  yet ! " 

The  passengers'  statement  in  the  newspaper  was 
a  fine  advertisement  for  the  new  mode  of  travel 
and  by  October  the  Clermont  was  well  established 
as  a  passenger  carrier. 

Fulton  wrote  a  letter  to  Captain  Brink,  on  Octo- 
ber 9th,  which  showed  a  good  master  of  the  new 
enterprise.  He  expected  every  man  in  his  employ  to 
do  his  duty,  —  there  was  to  be  no  half-way  service. 


i6o  ROBERT  FULTON 

It  gives  an  insight  into  Fulton's  strength  of  char- 
acter and  reveals  an  important  factor  in  his  success : 

Capt.  Beink  ;  ^^^  Y^^^>  ^^^'  ^'^'  '^^' 

Sir; 

Inclosed  is  the  number  of  voyages  which  is  intended  the 
Boat  should  run  this  season.  You  may  have  them  pub- 
lished in  the  Albany  papers. 

As  she  is  strongly  manned  and  everyone  except  Jackson 
under  your  command,  you  must  insist  on  each  one  doing 
his  duty  or  turn  him  on  shore  and  put  another  in  his  place. 
Everything  must  be  kept  in  order,  everything  in  its  place, 
and  all  parts  of  the  Boat  scoured  and  clean.  It  is  not  suffi- 
cient to  tell  men  to  do  a  thing,  but  stand  over  them  and 
make  them  do  it.  One  pair  of  Quick  and  good  eyes  is  worth 
six  pair  of  hands  in  a  commander.  If  the  Boat  is  dirty  and 
out  of  order  the  fault  shall  be  yours.  Let  no  man  be  Idle 
when  there  is  the  least  thing  to  do,  and  make  them  move 
quick. 

Run  no  risques  of  any  kind  when  you  meet  or  overtake 
vessels  beating  or  crossing  your  way,  always  run  under  their 
stern  if  there  be  the  least  doubt  that  you  cannot  clear  their 
head  by  50  yards  or  more.  Give  in  the  accoimts  of  Receipts 
and  expenses  every  week  to  the  Chancellor. 

Your  most  obedient, 

RoBT.  Fulton. 

Captain  Brink  continued  in  charge  of  the  Cler- 
mont during  the  season  of  1807  and  was  succeeded 
the  following  spring  by  Captain  Samuel  Wiswall 
who  was  employed  by  Fulton  for  many  years.    The 


STEAMBOATS  AND  SUBMARINES         i6i 

boat  ran  well,  with  only  one  accident,  when^  on 
November  13  th,  a  cast-iron  axle  tree  broke,  as  the 
Clermont  was  setting  out  from  New  York  and  she 
was  obliged  to  return  for  repairs.  By  this  time  the 
weather  was  cool  and  ice  was  forming  in  the  river. 
On  the  20th  of  November  Fulton  wrote  to  the 
Chancellor,  —  ^'It  is  now  time  to  lay  her  up  for 
the  winter.  Nothing  should  be  risqued  from  bad 
weather  —  the  gain  wijl  be  trifling,  the  risque 
great,"  He  adds  another  warning  in  postscript : 
**Do  not  risque  the  engine  in  the  winds  and  waves 
of  the  season."  He  also  outlined  the  changes  and 
enlargements  he  planned  to  make  in  the  boat 
during  the  winter. 

Through  the  cold  weather  she  was  laid  up  at  the 
north  end  of  the  Hudson  and  underwent  extensive 
repairs  and  alterations.  An  interesting  letter 
written  by  Francis  Sayre,  of  Catskill,  describes 
the  changes  and  gives  so  many  interesting  facts 
that  it  is  here  printed.  He  writes  under  date  of 
September,  1857 : 

"I  am  as  far  as  I  know  the  only  person  now  living 
who  was  on  board  the  first  steamboat  on  her  trial 
trip  from  New  York  to  Albany.  I  do  not  refer  to 
the  trial  trip  which  was  made  in  1807,  but  to  the 
first  trip  made  by  the  old  North  River ,  the  first 
passenger  boat  propelled  by  steam. 

M 


i62  ROBERT  FULTON 

"The  craft  employed  by  Mr.  Fulton  on  the 
trial  trip  (called  the  Clermont,  but  probably  never 
registered)  was  taken  to  what  was  then  called  Lower 
Red  Hook  and  in  the  winter  of  1807  ^-nd  1808  was 
hauled  on  ways  to  be  enlarged  and  converted  into  a 
commodious  steamboat.  The  alterations  and  en- 
largement were  made  by  ship-builders  of  the  city 
of  Hudson  during  the  winter  and  spring.  She  was 
launched  about  the  first  of  May  and  called  the 
North  River,  She  was  taken  down  to  New  York  by 
Captain  Samuel  Jenkins,  who  had  her  in  temporary 
charge,  until  Captain  (afterward  styled  Commo- 
dore) Wiswall  should  be  able  to  assume  command. 
On  arriving  at  New  York  she  was  taken  to  the 
dock  at  the  foot  of  Dey  Street  (then  far  up  town) 
where  the  machinery  was  put  on  board,  and  the 
cabin  and  carpenter's  work  were  completed.  This 
was  done  with  a  rapidity  which  in  those  days  was 
considered  extraordinary,  Mr.  Fulton  himself 
overseeing  and  attending  to  every  part.  He  was 
usually  on  board  as  early  as  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  would  be  there  almost  the  entire  day. 
I  never  knew  a  more  industrious,  indefatigable, 
laborious  man.  Fulton's  new  steamboat  was  the 
wonder  of  the  day.  She  was  visited  daily  by  hun- 
dreds of  the  curious  who  asked  many  queer  ques- 
tions in  relation  to  the  operation  of  the  steam  and 


STEAMBOATS  AND  SUBMARINES         163 

machinery;  one  of  these  ahnost  invariably  was, 
*  Where  and  how  was  the  steam  to  be  conveyed  to 
the  waterwheel?'  The  crowd  of  visitors  became 
in  time  a  great  annoyance  and  hindrance  to  the 
workers  on  board  and  I  recollect  a  very  amusing 
incident  connected  with  the  attempt  to  prevent 
intrusion.  Mr.  Fulton  directed  a  painter  to 
letter  a  board  with  the  words : 

One  Dollar  for  any  Person  to  Come  on  Board 

Without  Liberty 

which  was  put  up  in  a  conspicuous  place. 

*'One  day  a  sailor  came  along  and  read  the 
notice.  Jack  was  not  long  in  putting  his  construc- 
tion upon  it,  and  with  a  knowing  wink  of  the  eye, 
jumped  on  board  without  ceremony,  pointed  to  the 
sign,  and  accosted  the  man  nearest  him  with, 
'  Mister,  who  pays  me  that  dollar  ? ' 

*'Mr.  Fulton  was  standing  near  and  laughed 
heartily,  a  thing  unusual  for  him,  for  while  among 
the  workmen  he  was  generally  rather  taciturn 
and  grave,  giving  his  orders  and  directions  in  a 
laconic  manner.  He  would  listen,  however,  to 
suggestions  made  by  the  more  practical,  and  would 
often  modify  his  orders  to  accord  with  such  sug- 
gestions. During  the  time  these  preparations  were 
going  forward,  trials  were  made  of  the  working  of 


i64  ROBERT  FULTON 

the  machinery  by  hauling  out  into  the  stream, 
putting  on  steam,  and  starting  the  engine.  This 
was  no  small  affair,  for  when  the  engineer  gave 
the  notice,  *A11  ready,'  all  hands  were  called, — 
carpenters,  joiners,  painters,  calkers,  laborers  and 
crew,  —  to  prevent  what  is  termed  *  catching 
on  the  center/  During  one  of  these  trials,  when 
going  up  the  river  at  the  rate  of  six  or  eight  miles 
an  hour,  Mr.  Fulton  stood  looking  over  the  bow 
of  the  boat  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  intently 
watching  the  motion  and  speed  of  the  boat,  appar- 
ently wholly  absorbed.  Suddenly  he  wheeled  and 
addressed  a  friend  who  stood  near  him  with  great 
enthusiasm,  exclaiming,  'My  good  friend,  she  is  a 
fine  boat  and  our  success  is  certain.' 

**Conmiodore  Wiswall  was  now  in  command. 
At  the  hour  appointed,  9  a.m.,  for  her  departure 
for  Albany,  Chancellor  Livingston  with  a  number  of 
invited  friends  came  on  board  and,  after  a  good 
deal  of  bustle  and  no  little  noise  and  confusion,  the 
boat  was  got  into  the  stream  and  headed  up  the 
river.  Steam  was  put  on  and  sails  were  set,  for 
she  was  provided  with  large  square  sails  attached 
to  masts  that  were  so  constructed  that  they  could 
be  raised  or  lowered  as  the  direction  and  strength 
of  wind  might  require.  There  was  at  the  time  a 
light  breeze  from  the  south,  and  with  steam  and 


STEAMBOATS  AND   SUBMARINES         165 

sails  a  very  satisfactory  rate  of  speed  was  attained. 
Fast-sailing  sloops  were  passed  with  ease,  the 
machinery  worked  finely  and  everything  seemed 
to  promise  well.  After  a  time,  however,  it  was 
discovered  that  steam  was  escaping  from  the  boiler. 
This  boiler  was  constructed  of  wood,  a  cylinder 
perhaps  twenty  feet  long  and  ten  in  diameter, 
bound  with  heavy  iron  bands,  with  iron  tubes 
extending  from  the  lower  part  of  the  furnace.  The 
heat  imparted  to  the  iron  bands  by  the  steam  pro- 
duced a  shrinking  of  the  wood  directly  under  them, 
while  the  spaces  between  them  would  swell  with 
moisture  imparted  by  the  steam  so  that  the  edges 
of  the  planks  would  be  uneven,  leaving  open 
spaces  through  which  the  steam  escaped.  How 
could  the  difficulty  be  obviated?  Resort  was  had 
to  covering  the  boiler  with  blankets  and  carpets 
which,  to  some  extent,  prevented  this  evil  and,  as 
the  favorable  wind  continued,  we  kept  on  the  even 
tenor  of  our  way  and  just  before  sunrise  next 
morning  we  were  at  Clermont,  the  residence  of  the 
Chancellor,  who  with  his  friends  landed,  and  the 
boat  proceeded  to  Albany,  where  we  arrived  at 
2  or  3  P.M." 

When  the  boat  reached  New  York,  on  the  return 
trip,  Fulton  immediately  had  a  copper  boiler  made 
to  replace  that  of  wood  which  had  caused  the 


'j^ 


i66  ROBERT  FULTON 

trouble.  He  was  very  energetic  and  ready  to  take 
any  trouble  or  incur  any  expense  necessary  to 
perfect  the  boat. 

As,  soon  as  the  North  River  of  Clermont^  as  she 
was  enrolled  May  14th,  1808,  was  completed  to 
Fulton*s  satisfaction,  he  began  to  build  a  com- 
panion boat,  thereby  establishing  a  service  from 
each  port  twice  a  week.  This  boat,  the  Car  of 
NeptunCy  was  followed  by  a  third,  the  Paragon. 
The  last  was,  of  course,  the  best,  for  Fulton  im- 
proved each  model  by  noting  the  imperfections 
of  its  predecessor.  He  humorously  wrote,  in  a 
private  letter,  of  181 2,  "My  Paragon  beats  every- 
thing on  this  globe,  for  made  as  you  and  I  are,  we 
cannot  tell  what  is  in  the  moon  —  this  Day  she 
came  on  From  Albany  150  miles  in  26  hours  wind 
ahead."  ^ 

But  during  these  years,  busy  as  they  were,  Ful- 
ton had  not  forgotten  his  dream  of  universal  peace 
through  the  work  of  his  other   invention, —  the 

1  Extract  from  letter  from  Robert  Fulton  to  Benjamin  West, 
March  23,  1809 : 

"My  Steamboats  are  doing  wonders,  the  one  of  last  year 
cleared  16,000  dollars.  I  am  now  building  two  more;  when 
finished  there  will  be  two  running  between  New  York  and  Albany 
and  one  between  New  York  and  New  Brunswick  in  Jersey  on  the 
route  to  Philadelphia.  There  is  a  fair  calculation  that  these 
Boats  will  clear  25,000  dollars  a  year,  of  which  I  have  half  go 
that  I  am  doing  very  well." 


STEAMBOATS  AND   SUBMARINES         167 

submarine  torpedo-boat.  You  will  remember  that 
when  Fulton  reached  America  he  laid  his  plans 
before  Mr.  Madison,  Secretary  of  State,  and  Mr. 
Smith,  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  These  gentlemen 
were  so  impressed  that  they  influenced  the  govern- 
ment to  grant  some  money  for  an  experiment  in  the 
harbor  of  New  York.  In  the  spring  of  1807,  to 
prepare  the  minds  of  the  citizens  for  the  new  inven- 
tion, Fulton  invited  the  mayor  and  other  gentle- 
men to  Governor's  Island,  where  he  showed  them 
his  machines  and  the  copper  cylinders  for  his 
torpedoes. 

In  time  the  meeting  developed  a  humorous  aspect. 
The  spectators  became  so  interested  that  they 
crowded  eagerly  around  him  as  he  explained, 
"Gentlemen,  I  have  here  a  charged  torpedo  with 
which,  precisely  in  its  present  state,  I  mean  to 
blow  up  a  vessel.  It  contains  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  pounds  of  gunpowder,  and  if  I  were  to 
allow  the  clockwork  to  run  for  fifteen  minutes,  I 
have  no  doubt  that  it  would  blow  this  fortification 
to  atoms.''  His  listeners  first  looked  at  each  other 
aghast,  then  the  more  prudent  hastily  stepped 
back,  and  one  by  one  the  others  slipped  away  until 
Mr.  Fulton  found  himself  alone,  with  only  two  or 
three  of  the  bravest  of  his  auditors  peering  at  him 
from  under  a  distant  gateway!    None   dared   to 


i68  ROBERT  FULTON 

return  until  he  placed  the  deadly  torpedo  back  in 
its  place  in  the  magazine. 

On  the  2oth  of  July  he  blew  up  a  large  brig  in 
the  harbor  of  New  York,  and  described  this  experi- 
ment with  others  in  his  book,  **  Torpedo  War  or 
Submarine  Explosions/*  After  three  attempts  the 
vessel  was  blown  to  atoms,  only  a  coliunn  of  water, 
smoke  and  fragments  being  left  to  show  where  she 
had  been  floating.  The  next  day  Fulton  wrote  a 
letter  to  the  governor  and  magistrates  of  the  city 
in  which  he  said : 

"  Gunpowder,  within  the  last  three  hundred  years, 
has  totally  changed  the  art  of  war;  and  all  my 
reflections  have  led  me  to  believe  that  this  applica- 
tion of  it  will  in  a  few  years  put  a  stop  to  maritime 
wars,  give  that  liberty  on  the  seas  which  has  been 
long  and  anxiously  desired  by  every  good  man,  and 
secure  to  America  that  liberty  of  commerce,  tran- 
quility, and  independence  which  will  enable  her 
citizens  to  apply  their  mental  and  corporal  faculties 
to  useful  and  humane  pursuits,  to  the  improvement 
of  our  country,  and  the  happiness  of  the  whole 
people." 

So  did  Fulton  dream  of  peace, —  a  dream  still 
unfulfilled,  yet  worthy  of  our  future  hope. 

In  1810  Congress  appointed  a  committee  to 
decide  upon  the  worth  of  Fulton's  submarine  war- 


STEAMBOATS  AND  SUBMARINES  169 

fare,  and  Commodore  John  Rodgers  was  told  to  do 
all  he  could  to  get  the  sloop  Argus  ready  to  resist  the 
attack  Fulton  was  to  make  upon  her.  Commodore 
Rodgers  entered  the  contest  with  the  enthusiasm 
of  a  boy.  He  had  a  strong  wire  netting  stretched 
around  the  bottom  of  the  boat  and  anchored 
lashed  spars  to  float  at  her  sides ;  while  grappling 
irons,  hung  far  out  from  the  rigging,  were  ready  to 
plunge  at  any  boat  approaching  with  hostile  intent. 
Huge  scythes  were  hinged  to  her  decks,  ready  to 
cut  off  the  heads  of  any  sailors  who  ventured  within 
reach.  It  takes  an  American  to  beat  an  American ! 
Fulton  confessed  that,  for  the  time,  he  had  been 
outwitted  but  promised  the  officers  of  the  navy 
that  he  would  yet  find  a  way  to  conquer  the  dif- 
ficulties. 

His  method  is. described  in  a  letter  to  his  old 
friend  Joel  Barlow ;  it  says  in  part : 

"I  have  had  some  trouble  with  the  torpedo 
experiments  in  consequence  of  the  determined 
opposition  of  the  officers  of  the  navy,  for  which  I 
now  thank  them.  They  had  placed  splinter  nets 
across  the  bow  of  the  vessel  with  weights  which 
held  them  to  the  ground ;  booms  were  floated  in  the 
water  and  spaced  out  20  feet  from  her  sides  to  guard 
her  sides.  Grappling  oars  with  sword  blades  and 
ballast  in  slings,  to  show  how  they  could  sink  my 


170  ROBERT  FULTON 

boats,  made  a  formidable  appearance  against  one 
poor  torpedo  boat  and  eight  poor  men.  Moreover, 
all  this  would  not  have  saved  them  had  the  nets 
not  been  to  the  ground;  I  was  not  prepared  for 
nets  thus  arranged.  Hence  the  committee  gave 
me  till  the  29th  of  this  month  to  show  how  I  would 
get  through  the  nets  or  carry  them  away.  I  am 
now  prepared  to  prove  that  nets  and  booms  are 
no  better  protection  than  cobwebs.  Commodore 
Rodgers  opposes  me  with  much  ardor  and  ingenu- 
ity; the  reason  he  says  I  cannot  do  it  is  that  I 
have  not  practical  nautical  knowledge ;  this  might 
be  true  but  reflection  for  the  last  113  days  has  given 
me  knowledge  to  the  same  effect,  so  that  with  a 
log-ship  of  about  two  hundred  tons  burden  ar- 
ranged with  torpedoes  and  without  cannon,  I  will 
destroy  any  ship  that  ever  was  built,  that  is,  if  she 
dare  to  lay  at  anchor,  or  if  in  fact  she  does  not  run 
away  faster  than  I  can  run  to  overtake  her;  this 
fortunately  can  be  done  in  port,  along  our  coast, 
or  in  open  sea :  I  have  just  finished  a  model  of  this 
log  torpedo  ship,  also  a  bullet-proof  torpedo  boat 
that  acts  without  oars,  —  thus  you  see  I  am  on  the 
highroad  to  success  and  in  good  spirits." 

But  although  Fulton's  system  was  not  then 
adopted,  he  had  gained  the  recognition  of  the 
United  States  Navy,  and  had  presented  the  germ 


STEAMBOATS  AND   SUBMARINES         171 

for  expansion  in  other  minds  for  submarine  warfare, 
now  practiced  by  navies  throughout  the  world. 
Moreover,  he  had  the  honor  of  building,  in  1814, 
the  first  steam  war-ship,  the  Demologus,  meaning 
"The  Voice  of  the  People,'*  later  named  Fulton, 
This  alone  gives  the  inventor  high  honor,  for 
in  time  it  changed  all  the  navies  of  the  world. 
Our  country  has  recognized  Fulton's  patriotism 
by  naming  its  first  submarine  tender  to  burn  oil 
in  her  engines,  the  Fulton  (19 14),  and  has  retained 
his  name  "torpedo"  for  all  its  submarine  craft. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Ferry-boats  and  River-boats 

The  few  remaining  years  in  Robert  Fulton's  life 
were  very  busy  ones.  In  1809  he  formed  a  stock 
company  to  finance  the  building  of  steam  ferries 
to  run  from  New  York  to  Jersey  City,  and  so 
thoroughly  was  Fulton  trusted  that  the  entire 
construction  of  the  new  boats  was  left  solely  to 
him.  Before  this  time  there  had  been  rowboat 
and  sail-boat  ferries,  and  a  "horse-boat,"  propelled 
by  paddles  which  were  turned  by  the  feet  of  four 
blind  horses  walking  a  tread-mill. 

We  can  imagine  how  welcome  were  Fulton's 
^^team  ferries.  He  called  them  "twin-boats"  be- 
cause he  built  each  boat  with  two  complete  hulls, 
connected  by  a  bridge  or  deck,  which  provided  a 
wide  platform  for  carriages  and  passengers.  The 
ends  were  rounded,  just  as  they  are  in  present-day 
ferries,  so  that  the  boats  could  cross  and  re-cross 
the  river  without  turning ;  and  floating  docks  were 
built  to  receive  them,  also  "fenders,"  to  avoid  any 
shock  from  collision  when  the  boats  came  to  shore. 

172 


FERRY-BOATS  AND   RIVER-BOATS        173 

It  has  been  said  that  if  steam  navigation  had  been 
applied  to  no  other  purpose  than  to  move  these 
^'floating  bridges,"  over  streams  where  no  other 
bridge  could  be  built,  he  who  applied  it  would 
deserve  to  rank  among  the  great  benefactors  of 
mankind. 

Fulton  called  his  first  ferry-boats  York  and 
Jersey,  and  the  one  he  built  in  181 2  for  the  East 
River  was  named  Nassau.  As  traffic  increased 
between  the  New  York  terminals  a  new  street  was 
opened  between  the  ferries,  in  181 6-1 8,  and  was 
appropriately  named  Fulton  Street.  The  ferry 
over  the  East  River,  where  thousands  of  persons 
daily  crossed  to  Brooklyn  and  other  points  on 
Long  Island,  also  honored  the  inventor,  and  was 
called  *^ Fulton  Ferry." 

These  busy  years  of  Fulton's  life  were  harassed 
by  lawsuits  over  patent  rights ;  for  as  soon  as  steam 
navigation  was  proved  a  success,  certain  unscrupu- 
lous speculators  rushed  in  to  try  to  make  money 
by  the  new  invention.  Fulton  called  them  '^mental 
pirates"  because  they  tried  to  steal  the  riches  of  his 
mind,  and  in  many  cases  they  succeeded  in  making 
more  money  from  the  invention  than  Fulton  him- 
self ever  gained. 

You  may  remember  that  during  his  stay  in 
France  Fulton  had  been  impressed  by  the  splendid 


174  ROBERT  FULTON 

possibiKties  of  opening  navigation  on  the  great 
Mississippi  River.  This  idea  came  to  him  when 
the  United  States  purchased  Louisiana.  As  soon 
as  the  Clermont  was  established  as  a  passenger 
boat  on  the  Hudson  River,  the  partners,  Living- 
ston and  Fulton,  decided  to  engage  the  services 
of  a  third  person  who  was  interested  in  steam 
navigation,  namely,  Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt,  a 
personal  friend  of  both  men  and  an  experimenter,  as 
early  as  1781,  with  an  original,  although  since 
abandoned,  plan  for  a  steamboat. 

At  this  point  comes  in  an  interesting  story. 
Fulton  and  Livingston  thought  it  proper  and  neces- 
sary, before  launching  their  new  boat  upon  western 
waterways,  to  write  for  permission  to  the  governor 
/  of  the  new  state  of  Louisiana.  The  fact  that  they 
did  so  would  never  have  been  known  had  it  not 
been  for  the  discovery  of  two  small  boys  who 
went  to  play,  a  few  years  ago,  in  an  unused  loft  in 
Galena,  Illinois.  There  they  came  across  a  box 
containing  papers  yellowed  by  age.  Some  were 
written  in  French,  and  these  they  did  not  under- 
stand, but  a  few  were  in  English,  and  the  boys, 
fresh  from  school,  recognized  the  well-known  names 
Livingston  and  Fulton,  when  they  saw  them  signed 
at  the  end  of  a  letter.  So  they  tucked  that  piece 
of  paper  into  a  pocket,  and  some  time  afterward, 


FERRY-BOATS  AND  RIVER-BOATS       175 

when  it  came  to  light,  they  told  a  grown-up  person 
about  their  find.  He  realized  at  once  the  value  of 
the  old  papers  and  went  in  search  of  them,  only 
to  find  that  the  loft  had  been  cleaned  since  the 
boys'  visit  there  and  all  the  papers  cast  out  and 
burned  by  some  ignorant  person  who  did  not 
suspect  their  value.  The  documents  and  letters 
had  belonged  to  a  man  who  had  been  clerk  under 
an  early  governor  of  the  state.  This  letter,  shows 
how  keenly  Livingston  and  Fulton  realized,  in 
spite  of  doubters,  the  advantages  which  were  sure 
to  follow  the  establishment  of  steam  navigation: 

Clermont,  State  of  New  York, 
August  20th,  1810. 
To  his  Excellency, 

The  Governor  of  Upper  Mississippi ; 

Sir; 

Wishing  to  extend'the  benefit  of  steamboat  navigation  to 
the  Mississippi  River,  a  capital  approaching  to  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  will  be  required,  which  capital  must  be 
raised  by  subscription ;  but  subscribers  cannot  be  obtained 
until  an  effectual  law  presents  a  fair  prospect  of  securing  to 
them  such  exclusive  right  as  will  return  emolument  equal 
to  the  risk  and  trouble.  In  this  point  the  patent  law  of  the 
United  States  is  at  present  imperfect,  hence  after  the 
example  of  encouragement  granted  by  the  State  of  New 
York  we  have  applied  to  the  different  governments  bordering 
on  the  Mississippi  for  their  protection  and  patronage  and 
thus  take  the  liberty  to  transmit  to  you  our  petition.    To 


176  ROBERT  FULTON 

improve  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  by  transporting 
goods  for  three  fourths  of  the  sum  which  is  now  paid  and  in 
three  fourths  of  the  time ;  to  render  such  an  establishment 
periodical,  uniform  and  secure  is  an  object  of  such  immense 
importance  to  the  states  bordering  on  the  Mississippi,  a 
work  of  so  much  labor  and  hazard  to  the  undertakers  as 
we  hope  will  excite  the  most  lively  feelings  of  patronage  and 
protection  both  in  your  Excellency  and  the  Honourable^* 
the  Legislature  of  Upper  Louisiana.  On  the  receipt  of  these 
papers  we  shall  esteem  it  a  particular  favor  to  be  honored 
with  an  answer  from  your  Excellency,  expressing  your 
opinion  on  this  subject. 

We  have  the  honor  to  be  respectfully, 
Your  Excellencies  most  obedient, 

RoBT.  R.  Livingston. 
RoBT,  Fulton. 

The  interest  of  this  letter  prompts  a  warning  to 
all  lovers  of  history  to  keep  any  fragment  of  pos- 
sible value ;  even  if  old  papers  have  no  charm  for 
you,  there  is  probably  somebody  searching  some- 
where for  just  the  bit  of  information  there  recorded. 
Don't  burn  old  papers  merely  because  they  are 
old.     Read  them  and  pass  on  their  message. 

But  let  us  return  to  the  story  of  Mr.  Roosevelt. 
In  1809  he  had  married  Miss  Lydia  Latrobe,  of 
Baltimore,  whom  we  must  confess  a  brave  bride. 
As  soon  as  Fulton  and  Li\dngston  had  engaged  Mr. 
Roosevelt's    services,    he    went    to    Pittsburgh, 


FERRY-BOATS  AND   RIVER-BOATS        177 

ordered  a  flat-boat  to  be  built,  and  undertook  the 
voyage  to  New  Orleans  to  study  the  tides  and 
river  depths,  and  report  their  condition  to  Fulton 
so  that  he  could  decide  whether  a  steamboat  could 
make  the  journey  down  the  long  river  against  the 
strong  currents. 

Mr.  Roosevelt  did  not  travel  alone,  he  took  his 
young  bride  on  the  strange  honey-moon  trip. 
Flat-boats  or  rafts  were  quite  common  on  the 
Mississippi.  Mrs.  Roosevelt  has  thus  described 
theirs : 

''There  was  a  huge  box  containing  a  comfortable 
bedroom,  dining-room,  pantry,  and  a  room  in  front 
for  the  crew,  with  a  fireplace  where  the  cooking 
was  done.  The  top  of  the  boat  was  flat,  with 
seats  and  an  awning.  We  had  on  board  a  pilot, 
three  *  hands*  and  a  man  cook.  We  always 
stopped  at  night,'  lashing  the  boat  to  the  shore. 
The  rowboat  was  a  large  one,  in  which  Mr.  Roose- 
velt went  out  constantly  with  two  or  three  men  to 
ascertain  the  rapidity  of  the  ripples  or  current." 

It  was  a  six  months'  voyage.  Mr.  Roosevelt 
carried  letters  of  introduction  to  prominent  citizens 
of  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  and  other  cities,  and 
found  that  these  gentlemen  listened  with  respect- 
ful attention  to  his  account  of  the  success  of  the 
Clermont  on  the  Hudson  River,  but  none  would 

N 


178  ROBERT  FULTON 

encourage  him  to  hope  that  a  steamboat  would 
prove  a  safe  venture  for  the  rapid  current  of  the 
western  river.  However,  Mr.  Roosevelt  took 
soundings  of  depths,  made  maps  to  show  the  posi- 
tion of  sand-bars,  and  compiled  a  record  of  the 
swift  flow  of  tides  and  of  the  general  weather  condi- 
tions. He  was  thought,  as  Fulton  had  been  con- 
sidered in  New  York,  a  mad  enthusiast,  whose  plan 
would  prove  a  total  loss  to  any  persons  unwise 
enoUgh  to  spend  money  in  building  a  boat  for  the 
Mississippi. 

They  did  not  arrive  at  New  Orleans  until  the 
first  of  December,  from  which  port  they  took 
passage  in  a  sailing  vessel  for  New  York.  They 
had  a  hard  voyage,  for  their  captain  fell  sick  and 
there  was  an  outbreak  of  yellow  fever  on  board. 
At  Old  Point  Comfort  they  decided  to  leave  the 
ship,  and  they  made  the  remainder  of  the  journey 
by  stagecoach,  arriving  in  New  York  about  the 
middle  of  January. 

We  may  imagipe  how  eagerly  Fulton  and  Living- 
V  ston  studied  the  charts  and  listened  to  Roosevelt's 
recital.  The  adverse  criticisms  of  people  living 
on  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi  were  set  aside  by 
the  facts  noted  by  Mr.  Roosevelt  in  his  journal, 
or  ^4og-book,"  of  the  strange  voyage.  Fulton's 
optimism   was   always   ready   to   surmount   any 


FERRY-BOATS  AND   RIVER-BOATS        179 

barrier.  It  was  agreed  that  Mr.  Roosevelt  should 
immediately  return  to  Pittsburgh  to  superintend 
the  building  of  the  first  steamboat  for  western 
waters.  Fulton  drew  the  plan,  which  was  very 
different  from  those  he  had  made  for  the  Hudson 
River  boats,  because  the  conditions  were  so  unlike 
those  in  the  east.  And  he  decided  to  make  the 
steam  engine  much  more  powerful  to  cope  with  the 
heavy  currents. 

Under  a  bluff  called  Boyd's  Hill,  close  to  an  iron 
foundry,  the  new  boat,  named  the  New  Orleans,  in 
honor  of  the  city  of  her  destination,  was  built. 
Timber  was  scarce  and  the  ribs  and  beams  for  the 
hull  had  to  be  floated  down  stream  from  the  upper 
forests.  The  local  workmen  could  not  understand 
the  plan,  and  skilled  ship-builders^  and  machinists 
from  Fulton's  New  York  yards  had  to  be  sent  to 
finish  the  v/ork.  This  boat,  Hke  that  on  the  Seine, 
suffered  mishap,  for  one  night  a  heavy  freshet 
caused  the  water  to  rise,  set  afloat  all  the  valuable 
timber  and  backed  the  whole  ship-yard  up  stream. 
Not  once,  but  several  times,  the  high  water 
threatened  to  launch  the  boat  before  she  was 
ready.  But  perseverance  conquers  all,  and  finally 
the  finished  boat  was  successfully  afloat  upon  the 
waters  of  the  Ohio  River. 

History  repeats  itself,  as  the  old  adage  says. 


i8o  ROBERT  FULTON 

Again  the  scoffers  gathered  by  the  dock  and  river 
bank,  laughed  at  the  queer  construction  and  pre- 
dicted that  the  boat  would  never  reach  New  Orleans. 

When  it  became  known  that  Mrs.  Roosevelt 
intended  to  accompany  her  husband  she  was  warned 
of  her  folly;  indeed,  Mr.  Roosevelt  was  openly 
reproved  for  allowing  his  wife  thus  to  imperil  her 
life.  The  boat  was  supposed  to  carry  passengers, 
but  none  appeared.  Nevertheless,  plans  were 
carried  out  and  during  the  autumn  of  1811,  on  a 
bright  October  day,  the  New  Orleans  triumphantly 
steamed  forth  from  Pittsburgh,  in  the  presence  of 
a  great  crowd  of  people.  They  cheered  as  the 
boat  went  down  the  river,  but  they  openly  proph- 
esied that  she  could  never  come  up! 

From  city  to  city  the  steamboat  made  its  brave 
way.  When,  during  the  fourth  night  out,  Louis- 
ville was  reached  in  bright  moonlight,  the  steam 
whistle  aroused  the  sleeping  town  and  the  people 
hurried  to  the  river,  thinking  that  the  comet  of  that 
year  had  fallen  into  the  stream !  When  morning 
dawned  and  they  could  see  that  Mr.  Roosevelt's 
promised  steamboat  had  arrived,  the  citizens  com- 
plimented his  perseverance  and  gave  a  banquet  in 
his  honor.  But  they  all  agreed  that  the  queer  vessel 
never  could  go  up  the  river  against  the  current, 
no  matter  how  successfully  she  could  steam  down. 


FERRY-BOATS  AND  RIVER-BOATS        i8i 

So  Mr.  Roosevelt  played  a  good  joke  on  them. 
He  invited  a  number  of  friends  to  a  dinner  in  the 
cabin  of  the  boat.  While  the  feast  was  at  its  height, 
a  strange  rumbling  brought  the  frightened  guests 
to  their  feet;  they  rushed  up  on  deck  to  discover 
that  the  boat  had  cast  off  from  the  dock,  had  turned 
in  the  river,  and  was  actually  steaming  up  streanij 
in  spite  of  all  their  warnings  that  it  never  could! 

After  they  had  passed  Louisville,  while  they 
waited  for  the  water  to  rise  high  enough  to  pass 
through  the  rapids,  Roosevelt  took  the  time  to 
turn  the  boat  back  as  far  as  Cinciimati,  to  show 
doubters  in  that  city  that  the  feat  was  quite 
possible.  The  voyage  through  the  rapids  was  excit- 
ing but  the  boat  darted  like  an  arrow  through  them 
and  again  accompKshed  the  so-called  ^'impossible." 

The  year  1811  was  one  of  strange  happenings. 
A  comet  blazed  in  the  skies,  a  flood  covered  the 
lands  in  the  valley,  causing  an  epidemic  of  sickness, 
and  earthquakes  shook  the  whole  region  from  the 
Missouri  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Small  wonder 
that  the  Indians  who  lived  in  the  forests  along  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  paddled  away  in  fright  from 
the  steamboat  as  it  approached.  They  thought 
it  was  an  evil  thing. 

The  voyage  came  to  an  end,  and  a  happy  incident 
marked  its  close,  for  just  before  the  steamboat 


1 82  ROBERT   FULTON 

reached  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  a  tiny  passenger 
arrived  on  board  to  give  it  final  blessing,  for  a  little 
child  was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roosevelt. 

The  boat  was  kept  at  New  Orleans  to  use  as  a 
packet  between  that  city  and  Natchez,  but  as 
pioneer  it  had  proved  the  possibility  for  other 
steamboats  to  navigate  the  big  river  successfully, 
and  they  rapidly  multiplied.  Within  twenty  years 
after  the  voyage  of  the  New  Orleans  hundreds  of 
steam-propellers  were  paddling  their  easy  way  up 
and  down  the  river.  Steam  navigation  was  a 
proved  fact  upon  the  Mississippi. 
-  In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  read  the 
following  extract  from  a  letter  Fulton  wrote  to  his 
friend  Thomas  Jefferson,  on  April  7  th,  18 13.  It 
outlines  a  still  more  extended  system  of  steam 
navigation : 

"I  am  not  idle  as  to  torpedoes  but  secrecy  is  necessary. 
When  peace  returns,  or  in  four  or  five  years  from  this  date, 
I  shall  have  a  line  of  steamboats  from  Quebec  to  Mexico 
and  to  St.  Mary's ;  the  route  is  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  over 
Lake  Champlain,  down  the  Hudson  to  Brunswick,  cross  the 
Delaware  to  Philadelphia ;  by  land  carriage  to  Pittsburgh, 
down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  to  Red  River,  up  it  to  above 
Natchitoches:  the  total  land  carriage  about  five  himdred 
miles,  the  other  route  to  St.  Mary's  land  carriage  not  more 
than  two  hundred  miles.  The  most  of  these  boats  are  now 
constructing." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Fulton's  Home  and  Fulton's  Honors 

We  have  followed  Fulton  through  widely  dif- 
ferent works,  —  art,  canal  navigation,  the  inven- 
tion of  the  submarine  torpedo  and  the  steamboat- 
In  1 8 14  he  had  reached  almost  the  end  of  his  busy 
and  useful  hfe. 

Robert  Fulton  lived  to  be  only  fifty  years  old,  — 
not  the  allotted  ''three  score  and  ten"  named  by 
the  Psalmist;  yet  during  his  half-century  he  ac- 
compKshed  infinitely  more  than  many  another 
does  in  a  life  full  of  years.  To  labor  incessantly 
was  his  habit  and  pleasure.  As  he  had  written  to 
Joel  Barlow,  ''I  cannot  exist  without  a  project,  or 
projects,  and  I  have  two  or  three  of  the  first  order 
of  subHmity."  Herein  lay  the  secret,  if  such  an 
openly  admitted  fact  can  be  so  termed,  of  his 
valuable  Hfe.  He  looked  upon  work  as  sublime; 
he  exalted  it  to  dignity ;  and  its  product  to  him  was 
world-wide  fame  because  of  his  world-wide  service 
to  humanity. 

After  his  marriage,  on  January  7th,   1808,  to 

183 


1 84  ROBERT  FULTON 

Miss  Harriet  Livingston,  to  whom  you  will  remem- 
ber his  engagement  was  announced  on  the  Clermont, 
they  made  their  home  in  New  York  City,  first  at 
ICO  Reade  Street,  then  at  133  Chambers  Street, 
where  they  moved  in  181 1,  and  the  succeeding 
year,  at  Marketfield  Place,  opposite  the  Battery. 
The  street  now  known  as  Battery  Place  was  then 
called  Marketfield  Street ;  the  Hudson  River  then 
flowed  in  as  far  as  Washington  Street  and  Battery 
Park  extended  only  as  far  as  Greenwich  Street. 
Castle  Garden  occupied  a'  tiny  island  connected 
with  the  mainland  by  a  foot-bridge. 

The  foregoing  addresses  are  given  from  the  New 
York  directories  of  those  years,  and  some  confusion 
regarding  Fulton's  last  residence  has  arisen  from 
the  fact  that  Cadwallader  Colden,  who  knew  him 
well,  says  that  he  Hved  at  number  i  State  Street. 
In  either  case,  his  home  commanded  a  superb  out- 
look upon  the  harbor  and  river,  and  became  a 
gathering  place  for  his  many  distinguished  friends. 
The  outlook  upon  the  dancing,  sunny  waters  of  the 
harbor  must  have  been  an  inspiration  and  joy  to 
the  inventor  of  boats,  —  of  this  we  may  be  sure. 
Works  of  art,  in  accord  with  Fulton's  taste, 
abounded;  and  in  the  dining-room,  the  scene  of 
much  pleasant  hospitality,  was  spread  the  dinner 
service  of  fine  china,  embossed  with  the  coat  of 


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FULTON'S  HOME  AND  FULTON'S  HONORS     185 

arms  of  the  United  States,  presented  to  Fulton  by 
Thomas  Jefferson. 

Mrs.  Fulton  was  an  accomplished  harpist  and 
when  quiet  evening  hours  closed  the  busy  days,  we 
may  fancy  her  graceful  form,  with  high-carved 
tortoise-shell  comb  surmounting  her  slender  head, 
as  she  sat  in  the  mellow  light  of  the  drawing-room, 
pla3dng  sweet  melodies  to  the  master  of  the  house 
and  their  four  little  children,  —  Robert  Barlow 
Fulton  (named  for  Joel  Barlow  whose  affection  for . 
Fulton  never  lessened)  and  the  three  daughters, 
Julia,  Mary,  and  Cornelia  Livingston  Fulton,  — 
bright,  happy,  companionable  children  who  de- 
lighted the  hearts  of  their  parents. 

Several  excellent  portraits  exist  of  Robert  Fulton, 
for  he  made  a  striking  model  for  the  many  artists 
who  were  his  friends ;  but  in  addition  to  that 
depicted,  let  us  briefly  consider  his  character, 
learned  from  those  who  knew  and  loved  him  in  life ; 
and  from  them  we  may  gain  the  true  likeness  of 
the  soul  and  mind  of  the  man. 

First  we  may  think  of  Fulton  as  a  good  son,  ever 
loyal  and  kind  to  his  mother,  providing  a  home  for 
her  old  age  and  sending  her  gifts  of  money  from 
time  to  time  through  many  years,  to  provide  her 
with  comforts.  His  generosity  included  all  who 
were  of  kin,  for  the  letters  quoted  prove  him  mind- 


1 86  ROBERT   FULTON 

ful  of  the  welfare  of  his  brother  and  sisters,  though 
circumstances  had  carried  him  far  from  their  sight. 

He  was  a  good  friend  as  well,  choosing  his  com- 
panions for  their  real  worth,  and  his  affection  for 
them  was  faithful  throughout  his  life. 

He  hated  sham  and  falsehood  and  was  brave 
enough  to  expose  any  make-believe  in  science. 
An  example  of  this  is  shown  in  the  following  story. 
A  man  named  Redheffer  had  earned  much  money 
in  Philadelphia  by  exhibiting  a  machine  which  he 
claimed  was  run  by  perpetual  motion.  In  1813 
one  of  these  contrivances  was  brought  to  New  York 
and  advertised  as  a  modern  wonder.  Crowds  of 
people  flocked  to  see  it  and  paid  a  dollar  entrance- 
fee. 

The  problem  of  perpetual  motion  had  vexed 
the  minds  of  scientists  for  many  years.  Fulton 
was  unwilling  to  believe  that  its  solution  had  been 
discovered,  but  his  friends  persuaded  him  to  visit 
the  house  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city  where  the 
machine  was  set  up.  He  had  not  been  long  in  the 
room  when  he  exclaimed,  "This  machine  has  a 
crank  motion.'* 

The  alarmed  showman  hastened  forward  with 
explanations,  but  Fulton,  convinced  he  was  right, 
openly  denounced  the  affair  as  a  fraud.  His 
trained  ear,  as  it  listened   to  the  wheels  of  the 


FULTON'S  HOME  AND   FULTON'S  HONORS     187 

mechanism,  detected  an  uneven  motion  and  he  pro- 
claimed to  the  audience  that  the  thing  was  a  cheat 
and  he  could  prove  it.  He  knocked  away  some 
woodwork  concealing  a  string  of  catgut,  which  led 
along  an  upper  wall  to  a  distant  attic  where  a  poor 
old  man,  unliempt  and  half-starving,  sat  upon  a  stool 
and  patiently  turned,  with  weary  hand,  a  crank. 

The  angry  audience  destroyed  the  machine,  and 
the  dishonest  proprietor  disappeared  quickly.  This 
ended  Redheffer's  false  theory. 

Mrs.  Barlow,  than  whom  none  could  know  Fulton 
better,  wrote  to  Mr.  Golden,  in  reply  to  his  ques- 
tion about  Fulton's  early  life : 

"Agreeable  to  your  request  I  shall  endeavor  to 
give  you  the  best  information  in  my  power  respect- 
ing the  early  life  of  our  excellent  friend,  Mr.  Fulton. 
What  is  previous  to  1797,  when  we  became  ac- 
quainted with  Mm,  was  related  by  himself.  He 
chose  to  have  it,,kno\\m  that  he  was  self-educated 
and  author  of  his  own  fortune,  if  I  may  so  express 
it.  During  the  summer  of  1797,  Mr.  Fulton  came 
to  Paris  to  introduce  his  system  (of  canals)  and  get 
it  patented.  He  came  to  lodge  at  a  hotel  where 
Mr.  Barlow  and  myself  were  boarders.  There 
commenced  that  strong  affection  and  devoted 
friendship  which  subsisted  between  them  in  the 
most  extraordinary  degree  as  long  as  they  lived. 


i8&  ROBERT  FULTON 

We  went  into  our  own  house  soon  after,  when  my 
husband  invited  Mr.  Fulton  to  reside  with  us  as 
long  as  we  should  remain  in  Paris.  He  resided  in 
our  family  as  a  brother  for  seven  years.  During 
this  period  he  learned  the  French  language  and 
something  of  the  Italian  and  German ;  studied  the 
higher  mathematics,  the  sciences,  physics,  chemis^ 
try  and  perspective,  and  in  short  completed  his 
education  as  far  as  it  related  to  his  useful  elegant 
pursuits." 

Mrs.  Barlow  quaintly  says  that  Fulton's  ^^ genteel 
manners,  companionable  and  amiable  qualities, 
acquired  him  many  valuable  friends  among  the 
nobility  and  gentry."  We  may  readily  infer  that 
not  only  did  he  choose  his  friends,  but  they  chose 
him,  because  they  found  pleasure  and  profit  in  his 
company. 

Mr.  Golden  describes  him  in  these  words: 
^' Mr.  Fulton  was  about  six  feet  high;  his  person 
was  slender  but  well  proportioned  and  well  formed. 
Nature  had  made  him  a  gentleman  and  bestowed 
upon  him  ease  and  gracefulness.  He  had  too  much 
good  sense  for  the  least  affectation ;  and  a  modest 
confidence  in  his  own  worth  and  talents  gave  him 
an  unembarrassed  deportment  in  all  companies. 
His  features  were  strong  and  of  a  manly  beauty. 
He  had  large  dark  eyes  and  a  projecting  brow, 


FULTON'S  HO]ME  AND   FULTON'S  HONORS     189 

expressive  of  intelligence  and  thought.  His  temper 
was  mild,  and  his  disposition  lively.  He  was  fond 
of  society,  which  he  always  enlivened  by  cheerful, 
cordial  manners  and  instructed  or  pleased  by  his 
sensible  conversation.  He  expressed  himself  with 
energy,  fluency,  and  correctness,  and  as  he  owed 
more  to  his  own  experience  and  reflections  than  to 
books,  his  sentiments  were  often  interesting  from 
their  originahty. 

'*In  his  home  he  was  kind,  generous,  and  affec- 
tionate, and  he  gave  freely  of  his  money  to  charity, 
to  entertaining  friends  at  home,  and  to  further  his 
scientific  plans.  But  conspicuous  among  his  vir- 
tues were  his  calm  constancy,  his  industry,  and  the 
untiring  perseverance  which  helped  him  to  over- 
come all  difficulties." 

Another  friend  wrote:  ''Among  a  thousand 
individuals  you  might  readily  point  out  Robert 
Fulton.  He  was  conspicuous  for  his  gentlemanly 
bearing  and  freedom  from  embarrassment,  for  his 
extreme  acti\'ity,  his  height,  —  somewhat  over 
six  feet,  —  his  slender  yet  energetic  form  and  well 
accommodated  dress,  for  his  full  and  curly  dark 
brown  hair,  carelessly  scattered  over  his  forehead 
and  falling  around  his  neck.  His  complexion  was 
fair,  his  forehead  high,  his  eyes  dark  and  penetrat- 
ing, and  revolving  in  capacious  orbs  of  cavernous 


igo  ROBERT  FULTON 

depths;  his  brow  was  thick  and  evinced  strength 
and  determination ;  his  nose  was  long  and  promi- 
nent, his  mouth  and  lips  were  beautifully  propor- 
tioned, giving  the  impress  of  eloquent  utterance. 
Trifles  were  not  calculated  to  impede  him  or  damp 
his  perseverance." 

A  story  is  told  by  a  writer  in  the  National  Por- 
trait Gallery  about  the  establishment  of  the  first 
ferry-boat  across  the  East  River  to  Brooklyn,  and 
of  a  painful  accident  which  happened  during  the 
second  or  third  trip.  Some  trouble  occurred  with 
the  machinery,  and  in  an  attempt  to  start  the  boat 
the  chief  engineer  was  caught  in  the  wheels  and  so 
injured  that  he  died  from  his  wounds  the  following 
day.  He  was  carried  to  the  house  next  to  the 
home  of  the  writer,  who  recalled  the  conversation 
between  Mr.  Fulton  and  the  attending  surgeon. 
Fulton  exclaimed,  ''Sir,  I  will  give  all  I  am 
worth  to  save  the  life  of  that  man."  When  the 
doctor  said  his  recovery  was  hopeless,  Fulton 
turned  aside,  completely  unmanned,  and  wept 
like  a  child.  The  neighbor  truly  observed  that 
while  no  personal  misfortune  ever  seemed  to  disturb 
Fulton's  calm  manner,  yet  his  feeling  toward  other 
people  was  sensitive  and  tender. 

Paul  Sabbaton,  who  was  chief  engineer  in  Ful- 
ton's employ,  wrote  in  later  years,  ''I  was  so  con- 


FULTON'S  HOMi:  AND  FULTON'S  HONORS  191 

stantly  with  Mr.  Fulton,  saw  him  at  his  occupation, 
at  his  family  fireside,  and  in  almost  every  situation, 
that  I  have  to  this  day  a  most  distinct  and  strongly 
impressed  likeness  on  my  mind.  He  had  all  the 
traits  of  a  man  with  the  gentleness  of  a  child.  I 
never  heard  him  use  ill  words  to  any  one  of  those 
employed  under  him  no  matter  how  strong  the 
provocation  might  be,  and  I  do  know  there  was 
enough  of  that  at  times ;  and  ever  and  anon,  my 
mind  recurs  to  the'  time  when  his  labors  were 
severe.  His  habit  was,  cane  in  hand,  to  walk  up 
and  down  for  hours.  I  see  him  now,  in  my  mind's 
eye,  with  his  white,  loosely-tied  cravat,  his  waist- 
coat unbuttoned,  his  ruffles  waving  from  side  to 
side,  as  his  movements  caused  their  movements; 
he,  all  the  while  in  deep  thought,  scarcely  noticing 
anything  passing." 

This  agrees  with  the  statement  of  another  em- 
ployee :  *'His  workmen  were  always  pleased  to  see 
him  about  the  shops.  With  his  rattan  cane  in 
hand,  he  always  appeared  to  me  the  counterpart  of 
an  English  nobleman.'' 

By  gathering  these  mind-pictures  together  we 
can  form  a  composite  likeness  of  a  man  who  was 
great  in  small  as  well  as  in  large  affairs. 

Let  me  add  a  story  of  my  own  recollection. 
About  the  year  1890  there  came  to  Poughkeepsie, 


192  ROBERT  FLTTON" 

Xew  York,  a  blind  Scotch  woman  ninety  years  of 
age.  The  infirm  old  lady  was  ven'  fond  of  music 
and  kindly  members  from  the  choir  of  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Comforter  would  go  to  sing  to  her,  for 
she  was  too  feeble  to  attend  church.  When  she 
heard  the  name  of  the  rector  of  the  church,  Fulton's 
grandson,  the  Rev.  Robert  Fulton  Crary,  D.D., 
her  face  Hghted  with  pleasure  and  she  exclaimed, 
''His  name.  Fulton,  is  very  dear  to  me.'"  \Mien 
asked  the  reason,  she  explained  that  during  her 
childhood,  her  father,  a  boat-builder,  employed 
at  the  Xew  York  ship-yards,  purchased  a  small 
plot  of  ground  adjoining  a  larger  section  owned  by 
Robert  Fulton.  When  the  Scotchman  came  to 
build  his  home  he  found  that  his  largest  and  best 
room  could  only  gain  sunshine  by  opening  a  'window 
directly  upon  the  line  of  ]Mr.  Fulton's  property. 
With  fear  and  trembling  he  plucked  up  courage  to 
ask  this  permission,  which  was  so  pleasantly 
granted  that  the  bright,  cheerful  li\ing-room  was 
always  called,  in  memory-  of  that  kindness,  ''Mr. 
Fulton's  room.''  The  wrinkled  face  of  the  old 
Scotch  woman  was  aglow  with  the  pleasure  of  the 
recollection,  and  the  sunshine  of  that  room  still 
lingered  even  through  her  blinded  eyes  and  the 
long  life  of  many  years.  How  few  of  us  realize  the 
far-reaching  effect  of  a  simple  act  of  kindness. 


FULTON'S  HOME  AND   FULTON'S  HONORS     193 

Never  very  robust  since  that  early  outbreak  of 
lung  trouble,  Fulton  had  worked  to  the  full  extent  of 
his  strength.  When  the  accident  occurred  to  his 
trial  boat  on  the  Seine,  he  imprudently  dashed  into 
the  water  to  save  the  valuable  machinery ;  and 
the  labor  of  twenty-four  hours,  with  neither  rest 
nor  refreshment,  caused  a  constitutional  weakness 
from  which  he  never  wholly  recovered. 

So  keen  was  his  interest  in  his  work  that  when  a 
new  idea  for  some  invention  came  to  him  he  would 
pass  the  whole  night  in  thought,  following  the 
resultant  chain  of  ideas.  In  February  of  181 5 
he  went  to  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  to  testify  in  a 
lawsuit  to  protect  the  Livingston-Fulton  rights  in 
steam  ferries,  and  while  returning  with  his  friend 
Mr.  Emmet,  a  prominent  lawyer,  and  Mr.  John 
R.  Livingston,  he  was  obliged  to  wait  a  long  time 
for  the  ferry-boat.  Always  eager  to  make  use  of 
spare  moments,  he  decided  to  visit  his  ship-building 
yards  to  inspect  the  work  upon  his  Demologus,  the 
first  war-vessel,  and  also  to  examine  other  boats 
he  had  sent  there  for  repairs.  He  spent  three 
hours  at  the  works,  and  then  with  Mr.  Emmet 
tried  to  walk  across  the  ice  formed  at  the  riverside. 
Heavy  rain  had  fallen,  and  this  so  weakened  the 
ice  that  his  companion  fell  through  into  the  water. 
Greatly  agitated,  Mr.  Fulton  helped  his  friend  up 


194  ROBERT  FULTON 

and  out,  but  both  men  were  wet  through  by  the 
quantity  of  water  floating  upon  the  ice.  It  was  a 
very  imprudent  exposure  and  the  natural  penalty 
followed.  Fulton  took  such  a  severe  cold  that  he 
was  confined  to  his  room  for  several  days.  His 
great  interest  in  the  Demologus  tempted  him  to 
venture  upon  an  early  carriage  drive  to  the  works ; 
he  took  more  cold,  inflammation  of  the  lungs 
followed,  and  on  the  morning  of  February  23d, 
181 5,  he  passed  from  this  world  to  the  life 
eternal. 

Unusual  tokens  of  public  esteem  followed  the 
announcement.  The  legislature  in  session  at 
Albany  resolved  that  both  Houses  wear  mourning, 
a  testimonial  never  before  accorded  a  private 
citizen.  The  newspapers  of  the  day  bore  black 
columns ;  the  Corporation  of  the  City  of  New  York, 
and  Hterary  and  scientific  associations,  assembled 
to  pass  resolutions  of  sympathy.  All  members, 
wearing  badges  of  mourning,  attended  his  funeral 
at  Trinity  Church  on  the  25th  of  February. 
Minute  guns  were  fired  from  his  steam  frigate  and 
the  West  Battery,  while  the  long  procession,  in 
which  were  officers  of  the  National  and  State 
Governments,  the  Mayor  and  Common  Council, 
and  hosts  of  prominent  citizens,  wended  its  way 
from  his  late  residence  to  the  historic  church,  under 


FULTON'S  HOME  AND   FULTON'S  HONORS     195 

the  shadow  of  which,  in  the  vault  of  the  Livingston 
family,  his  body  was  laid  to  rest. 

The  lad  from  Lancaster  had  earned  high  honor. 
He  sleeps  near  the  river  he  loved  so  well. 

Time-honored  son,  whose  memory  we  revere, 

Around  the  wondering  earth  thy  lustrous  name 

Shone  in  old  days,  a  sudden  star  of  Fame, 

Nor  is  that  glamour  dimmed.    No  leaves  are  sere 

Among  thy  laurels.     Greater  seems  each  year 
Thy  priceless  benefaction.     Let  them  crown 
Thy  rare  achievement  with  deserved  renown 
Who  reap  the  guerdon  of  thy  rich  career ! 

Long  hast  thou  passed  the  dark  Lethean  stream, 

Yet  who  but  envies  that  illustrious  sleep  ? 

Though  thou  art  dust,  yet  vital  is  thy  dream ; 
The  waves  of  all  the  world  still  chant  of  thee: 

Thy  soul  pervades  the  Ship  and  wings  the  Deep,  — 

Thy  Spirit  is  immortal  on  the  sea. 

Lloyd  Miffun. 


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